Wherever the Road Takes Us
by MandyRose57
Summary: Bella is a rebel who doesn't care about anything but herself and her best friend Jacob. But what happens when a strange new family moves to Forks? Can Bella's new lab partner, Edward, help her change her life for the better? What is the family's secret?AU
1. Chapter 1

I live in Forks Washington, I have since I was little. My mother died in a mysterious accident when I was only four, which left my father as the one to take care of me. I've done some bad things in my life, and I've made friends with the wrong people. My father, Charlie, is the chief of police here in Forks; he's tried numerous times to set me along a better path, only to fail every time.

As far as I'm concerned, once I finish my time at Forks High I'm leaving and never looking back. Sometimes I would think about what my life would be like if I had stayed on the straight and narrow, instead of straying from the perfect path my father had made for me. Sometimes, I think about how my life would be different if my mother were still alive, maybe that would make the difference.

"Isabella Swan!" my father yelled up the stairs. His voice filtered into my room and I could tell he was angry. He only called my Isabella when I did something wrong. The thing was, I had no idea what it was that I had done, or maybe it was something I was supposed to do, but hadn't.

I stayed on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I was still in pajamas though it was already past noon. I had done nothing all day, I had planned to go shopping for school supplies, was that what my dad my so pissed about?

"Isabella!" my father yelled up the stairs again, this time more loudly. I tried to filter out his voice and his footsteps. I knew he was coming now; he was getting closer and closer to my door. "Are you ready yet?" he was angry, his face was completely red.

"No," I replied. "Obviously," I added, but after I thought about it I wished I could take it back.

"Well why not? I told you last night, the new neighbors are moving in today we have to go greet them." Damn it was funny when he was mad. "Get off your butt, and get dressed, then come downstairs so we can go and look like a happy family."

"Why pretend? Why not just let them see how truly hateful we are towards each other?"

My dad sighed, he obviously didn't have an answer for this, and if he did he knew it was a bad one. "Just be downstairs in five minutes okay?" he was faking kindness. I knew how mad he was, though he rarely ever let his anger show.

Charlie left the room, closing the door behind him. I stayed in my position, estimating how long he would wait for me before leaving all by himself. Fifteen minutes at most, I decided and so I sat up and walked over to my closet. I walked slowly and carefully to ensure that the floor wouldn't creek and give away that I was moving. I threw on an old black sweater and a pair of dark blue jeans. I slipped on my flip-flops and then collapsed back onto my bed.

"Bella, I'm leaving now!" What was he expecting? For me to run down the stairs like a little kid on Christmas morning? Or to beg him to wait for me? I had outgrown that stage long ago. As soon as I was sure Charlie was gone, I ran down the stairs. Out the door I could see him in the driveway climbing into his cop car.

I watched and waited until Charlie had pulled out of the driveway and turned the corner at the end of the street, and then I snuck out to my truck and pulled out of the driveway. My truck roared when I drove it, it was a calming sound to me, though to most it was extremely obnoxious.

My first stop was Jacob's house. Jake and I had been best friends for as long as I could remember. We had grown up together, both getting into trouble and having fun, always together. I wasn't really sure about where I was going to go, but as long as I was with Jacob, it wouldn't really matter.

"Hey Bells," Jacob smiled as he climbed into my truck. We never planned anything we did; it was always on a whim, always spontaneous. "So where we headed?" he asked sticking his arm out the open window and leaning his head back. Jake was younger then me, but he acted like he was much older then me, he looked it too.

"Not sure," I replied. "Wherever the road takes us I guess."

"Ah, that's the best way to live life isn't it? Without a plan or a care." He laughed and stuck his head out the window to yell at a group of girls on the sidewalk. I laughed at him.

"Wanna see a movie?" I asked.

"Nah, hey didn't you get some new neighbors?"

"Yeah, thankfully I bailed out of the whole meet and greet shit today. Those people sound like freaks, and that's just the adults. For one thing they have like five kids? That's complete bull." I looked over at Jake who was listening to my every word. He always did, and sometimes I wondered why.

"At least you won't have to deal with them, they can't be that old right?" I nodded. Though the prospect of having such a big family living in a town like Forks was baffling.

It always rained in Forks, or snowed, there is almost always some type of precipitation falling from the sky. Right mow it was raining, though not very hard. We had made it to the center of town, if you could call it that.

"We could drive down to La Push?" Jake offered.

"We could go anywhere, but there really isn't anywhere I want to go," I admitted.

"Thanks for wasting my time then," Jacob joked as he ruffled my hair.

"Sorry," I sighed. "But I couldn't stay home; it's just so… empty." I did an illegal U-Turn on a side street and began to drive in the opposite direction we had just been going. "I can't believe school starts tomorrow," I confessed.

"You'll be fine Bella," Jacob wrapped his arm around my shoulders and gave me a squeeze. I didn't have any friends at school, mostly because I didn't fit in with everyone else. I had a few acquaintances that I sat with at lunch and spoke to occasionally, but the only true friend I had was Jacob.

After dropping Jacob off I went to the store, I had to get school supplies, but the real reason I went was to avoid Charlie. I picked up a few things, paper, notebooks etcetera, before departing for home. It was a short ride, too short, and when I opened the front door I was ready to take in the full blast of my father's anger.

"Isabella is that you?" he called from the living room.

"Who else would it be?" I replied. Charlie came storming into the hall, his face bright red and his eyes tired and droopy.

"I would like to first off, thank you so much for abandoning me today when you knew we were suppose to go over to greet the neighbors," he sucked in a deep breath. "Second of all, you leave the house without so much as a note or a call; I was worried sick about you!"

"Sorry," I replied and then I shuffled past him and up the stairs.

"Isabella I'm not done with you!" he snapped.

"I'm done with you!" I cried and I ran up the steps.

Just when I reached the top he shouted two words that he had never said to me before, "You're grounded!" I stopped in my tracks but could not make myself face him. Instead I tossed over my shoulder the notebooks and paper and all the other things I had purchased. I sprinted down the hallway and slammed my door, praying that something had hit him.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks and congratulations to:**

**mrsPettyfer324 **

**first review YAY!**

* * *

"Jake?" I asked as I opened the door. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm bored," he replied smiling huge. I unlocked the chain and waved him inside. It was two in the morning, I was in my pajamas and Charlie was, hopefully, asleep. "It stopped raining," he said, trying to make polite conversation.

"So I see," I replied.

"Want to go somewhere? I'll drive," he smiled at me again and I melted. I loved our late night adventures, we always wet somewhere different and every time we experienced something new.

"Where haven't we been in a long time?" I asked, though I already had a gut feeling about where we were going to go.

"La Push?" Jake replied questioningly and sarcastically at the same time. Sometimes it was like we shared the same mind.

"Okay, let me get changed, I'll meet you in your car," I climbed up the stairs and tip-toed to my room. I threw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, and then I climbed down the stairs and locked the front door behind me. I ran to Jacob's Rabbit and sat in the front seat. "Go!" I cried and we were off.

* * *

La Push is where Jacob and I used to play. It's a beach on the reservation where Jake lives. Jake pulled up into the parking lot and we jumped out. I didn't have any shoes on, neither did Jake. We walked along in the sand, allowing the waves to lick at our toes. We walked until we reached a spot where the waves couldn't reach us, and then we collapsed onto the tightly packed sand. I placed my head on Jacob's chest and sighed.

"What's up Bells, you seem so sad lately," Jacob could read me like a book.

"It's just because school is starting tomorrow, I have no friends there Jake, it's a nightmare," I moved my head so I was lying flat on the sand looking up at the stars.

"Is it because you're lonely Bella?" Jake teased, though truthfully that was exactly what the problem was. "You'll always have me."

"Sometimes, one friend isn't enough," I admitted. I wasn't quite able to look Jacob in the eye. He always thought he was everything for me, sometimes though I wished I had someone else. Someone who I could talk about things with, like boys. I couldn't talk about cute guys with Jacob, we had tried that once. I closed my eyes and tried to remember, it had been nearly a year ago…

* * *

"So Bella, what do you want to talk about?" Jacob asked. It was a rarely sunny day in Forks; we spent the day lounging in my backyard on a blanket. I never thought Jacob and I would run out of things to talk about, but we had.

"Hot guys," I replied smiling at how uncomfortable he became when I said that.

"Um, okay," Jake said sitting up and scratching his chin like he always did when he was baffled. "Like, Brad Pitt? Or Leo Dicaprio?"

"No like, Noah!" I cried collapsing back onto the blanket.

"Noah, is he some guy at your school?"

"YOU DON'T KNOW NOAH?" I cried so loud that Charlie came running out of the house. "It's okay dad," I said waving him off. "Noah, is from The Notebook, which is the best movie of all time," I explained.

"Oh, is that the movie with the guy hanging off the Ferris Wheel?" Jacob asked. I nodded.

"The Notebook is the best movie ever," I clarified to him sternly. Then we both just started laughing, I'm not sure why, I don't think either of us are.

* * *

"Do you still have that little crush on Noah?" Jacob asked, breaking my reverie. He wasn't laughing, he was being completely serious. Sometimes I wondered about Jake when he was like this.

"Of course," I replied sitting up. "Once you fall in love with someone there's no going back." I watched the waves slowly coming closer to us only to go creeping back again. They reminded me of life, whenever something gets close, it runs back away.

I wish I had a Noah, someone who loved me and would do anything for me. That's why we watch romance movies isn't it? To look at someone having what everyone wishes they had.

"Jacob?" I whispered, he had gotten oddly silent beside me. I looked down at his face, he was asleep, and there was no mistaking that. I put my head back on the ground, picking up handfuls of sand and throwing them to the side. Maybe I would be able to dig a whole and get out, go hide somewhere in China.

* * *

I used to think that maybe I could get away, I was younger then. By now though, I knew better. I've grown up to know that there is nothing you can do to change your life, trust me, I've tried. No matter who tries to help you, or what you do, you are the way you are. An alcoholic will always be an alcoholic, no matter how many times they go to rehab. You can call them a "Recovering Alcoholic" if you like, but the word "Alcoholic" is still in that description. And, if you lock that alcoholic up in a room full of beer or fine wine, chances are that they're going to drink the alcohol.

It's like for everything, once a rebel, always a rebel. Once an outsider, always an outsider, that's just the way it works in today's society.

* * *

So that's what I was thinking of, a human's inability to be changed. I looked up into the moon, only half-full but bright and visible on the rare cloudless night. There would be rain coming again soon though.

Maybe things could change for a little while, but in the long run, they always go back to the way they were. The world was better off that way. Everything in its place, that's what made everything fair.

* * *

I woke up when the rain began to pound on my forehead. Jacob was still asleep beside me. I looked around for anything that might tell me where I was, or what time it was. I shook Jacob awake. "Jake, I need to get home, I have school," I poked him in the ribs, hard, and her sprang up.

"What?" he cried then he looked at me. "Bella, what's wrong with you? I was just in the middle of this amazing dream about…"

"Jake, I don't care. I'm gonna be late for school on the first day if we don't hurry." It wasn't that I particularly liked school, quite the contrary actually, but if Charlie ever found out I was late, he would kill me. We sprinted up to Jake's car and I hopped in. When the car turned on and the clock flashed 12:27, I gasped. "Shit," I moaned under my breath.

"Bella, it's fine," Jacob attempted to comfort me. I just glared at him. "Don't blame this all on me," he complained.

"This was your idea!" I cried. "The whole sneaking out at two in the morning on my first day of school." I opened the door and climbed out of the car into the downpour of rain.

"Where are you going?" Jacob asked, exasperated.

"I'd rather walk and be soaked to the bone then deal with you right now," I replied.

"Whatever," Jake said, and then he left me there in the parking lot of La Push beach.

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**And not to worry Cullen fans, they'll be making there first appearance in the next chapter. **


	3. Chapter 3

To me school is nothing more then a way to pass the time. At one point I thought that sitting at home all day, watching TV and listening to music would be a great way to pass the day. Turns out it was boring as hell, after a while it got boring and repetitive. So I attended school, I didn't learn anything, or pay attention; I just went to pass time.

* * *

I stood in the rain watching the road Jacob's truck had just disappeared down. In a few minutes I was soaked to the bone, but I made no effort to get someplace dry. I was flabbergasted, Jacob had left me here. My best friend had abandoned me, and now I had no one. I looked at my cell phone, which Charlie had bought me out of concern for my safety. It was three thirty; I had been standing there for three hours. Bot how time flies when you're angry at your best friend. I wasn't angry though, I was furious.

I tried to calculate how long it would take me to walk home. Too bad I didn't pay attention in school; maybe if I did I could have figured it out. I contemplated calling Charlie, but what could I say to him? School had let out but there was no way I could have made it to La Push from school in that short amount of time. I would have to wait.

I began to walk home, praying that I was going in the right direction. I wasn't sure; it was so dark it could have been midnight. _Just another_ _fucking raniy day in Forks_, I thought. I reached the end of the reservation and entered into the town between the reservation and Forks.

There were a lot of small shops, I picked a quant looking coffee shop and entered it. I hadn't realized how horrible I looked. My hair was completely drenched and was standing at odd angles. It was knotted and dripping water onto the floor. I was wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt, both of which were soaked too. I took of my sweatshirt and threw it on the back of a chair. My t-shirt was wet also.

I sighed and sat in the other chair at the table I had chosen. I waitress came over and I ordered a latte, the first thing I saw on the menu. Only twenty minutes had passed since the last time I checked my watch. I took a sip of my coffee and shuddered, I hadn't realized how cold I was. My wet hair was dripping down my spine making me shiver more and more every second. The coffee didn't help soothe me at all.

* * *

I called Charlie at about four, only to get his voicemail. It was still pouring outside. I didn't feel like stepping back out into the rain, nor did I feel like calling a taxi, or one of the students I associated myself with, or Jacob. By now I had begun to draw attention from the other customers in the café.

I suppose that was because a small puddle had formed underneath my chair. The waitress and manager were giving me dirty looks, I ignored them. I was used to being looked at as though I were a freak. For all I knew I was a freak. I tried to call Charlie at the house. "Hello?" finally.

"Hi dad," I mumbled.

"Bella is that you?"

"Who else would it be? Is there another child of yours that you're hiding from me?" I didn't say it as a joke. I said it with a voice full of anger and sarcasm. I was not in the mood.

"There's no need for you're tone Isabella. Now where are you? Your truck's here but you're not," he didn't sound worried. By now he must have gotten used to my antics.

"Really? Someone must have stolen my truck from where I am now and brought it back to the house for me? Or maybe I was kidnapped?"

"Isabella that is not funny!" Charlie was getting angry now. I rose from my chair and picked up my coat then, leaving my puddle behind me as I walked out the door. "Now where are you?"

"In the small town between Forks and the reservation," I replied though it was reluctantly. I was having fun torturing Charlie.

"How did you get there?"

"I flew," I smiled to myself. I crossed the street and stood under the canopy of a small pawn shop.

"Bella, please."

"Jacob picked me up."

"And why can't Jacob bring you home?"

"Could you please just come get me?" I didn't feel like going over the entire story with him. For one thing, I knew I would be in trouble for leaving in the middle of the night. I knew I would be in trouble for skipping school, even if it wasn't intentionally. I knew I would be in trouble for falling asleep on the beach with Jacob. There were a few other things I would get in trouble for, but even though I was mad at him, I was not going to get Jake in trouble for leaving me alone.

"Bella it's pouring rain," Charlie sighed. By the sounds in the background I could tell he was throwing on his raincoat and shoes, and searching for his keys.

"Thank you Einstein, anymore valuable pieces of information you would like to enlighten us with?" I joked. God it was fun harassing my father.

"We will talk about your attitude later, I'm on my way, where exactly are you?" I told him my exact location. "Don't move," he said and then the phone went dead. I walked to the corner and found a dry piece of ground. Sitting down I took off my shoes and socks. My feet were killing me. I wasn't sure how far I walked but it had to have been at least five miles.

I rubbed my feet and rested my head against the store. I closed my eyes.

* * *

"Bella get up!" Charlie's rough voice demanded and he started to shake me violently. "I have been worried sick about you! I couldn't see you from the street so I figured you might have moved, against my instructions as usual. I drove around in circles for nearly four hours!" he was yelling, and he was still shaking me.

"Stop fucking shaking me!" I yelled back, startling him, but he let go.

"Please don't curse at me Isabella," he was so quiet I wasn't positive that was what he said. "You scared me." Charlie helped me up off the ground and I picked up my shoes and socks. I walked barefoot, following Charlie through the parking lot to his car.

"Oh man, you brought the police cruiser?" I asked.

"What else was I supposed to drive? You have your keys to the truck." I reached into my pocket and indeed I did have the keys to my truck. I climbed into the front passenger's seat and sighed. "Buckle your seatbelt," Charlie commanded. I sighed and reluctantly obeyed. "Now, about this little charade you pulled today," Charlie began.

"Drop it," I said.

* * *

Charlie didn't speak to me the whole ride home, or for the rest of the night. I collapsed on my bed, for some reason I was still tired. My phone vibrated, and knowing exactly who it was, I ignored it. It rang again, and then again before he hung up. Two minutes later he called again I answered this time before looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?" I yawned.

"Bella, are you okay? Listen I am so sorry about today…"

"Jacob, I'm fine," I replied rolling my eyes.

"Thank God. When Charlie came around and said he didn't know where you were I was so worried." So Charlie had paid a visit to the Blacks, of course.

"Listen Jacob, apology accepted, and I'm fine so let's just forget about everything."

"You're the best Bella," Jacob replied.

"I know. Night Jacob," I hung up the phone and tried to go to sleep. For some reason though, I had a sick feeling about the next day.

* * *

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And for all you Edward Cullen fans, he'll be making his grand entrance in the next chapter. **

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	4. Chapter 4

**Lots of love and thank yous to:**

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* * *

It was raining when I woke up, surprise, surprise. I looked at the clock and instantly knew that I wasn't going to have time to shower. I sighed, knowing in my heart that I needed one, desperately. I used half a bottle of body spray and quite a bit more then the regular amount of deodorant. I threw on an old pair of black sweatpants. They had holes in the bottom and were ripped at the knees but I didn't give a damn. I tossed on a grey t-shirt and grabbed a black sweater before rushing down the stairs.

"Bella don't you want breakfast?" Charlie called as I turned the knob of the front door.

"No, I'm fine," I lied. I sprinted out the door and climbed into my truck. My stomach grumbled loudly, "Shut up," I moaned to it and then I let my truck roar to life. I turned out of the driveway and opened the window, allowing the large rain droplets to land all over me. It was refreshing, considering I hadn't showered for God knows how long.

Forks High School is small, freakishly so. The whole student body is equal to that of a graduating class in most other schools. I reached into the passenger's seat for my bag and then realized I had forgotten it. I sighed and reluctantly jumped out of the truck. The parking lot was packed with cars, but there were only a few students left.

Most of the cars in the parking lot were as old as mine, though not as loud. Some were more new, and others older. A bright silver car caught my eye, and I walked toward it. Surrounding the car I recognized a few kids, a few who I knew and was even friendly with. "What's up Bella?" Eric called as I walked toward him.

"Who's is this?" I replied referring to the car.

"Belongs to one of the Cullen kids…" a boy named Tony sneered.

"That new family who moved here a few days ago?" asked a girl nick-named Cat.

"Yeah, that's them. Those rich freaks," Tony replied.

"So why are we all standing around their car?" I asked, knowing what this would provoke them into doing.

"Bella's right," Eric answered and he pulled out his car keys from his pocket. "Where you going Bella?" Eric called after me.

"Be right back!" I lied for the second time that day. I entered the office and stood there waiting for a few minutes. "Finally," I whined as the secretary handed me my schedule.

"Maybe if you had been at school yesterday we wouldn't have had to go through this whole ordeal." I made a face at her and walked to my first period class, English.

* * *

To say that the time between the beginning of first period and the beginning of lunch dragged on, would be the understatement of the century. I dozed off every few minutes, only to be woken a few minutes later. The cycle would just keep continuing, which was pissing my teachers off one by one.

Finally the bell for lunch rang and this time I was happy to be awakened. I met up with Eric and the others in the hallway and together we walked to lunch. I sat in my usual spot next to Angela. She was the only person other then Jacob I considered a best friend. Angela was the person who introduced me to alcohol and I had tagged along with her to my first all night party. "Where were you yesterday?" Angela asked as we meandered through the lunch line.

"Jake and I took a ride to La Push," I explained, and though it wasn't the whole truth, it was part of the truth. I never once told Angela the whole truth, and she didn't tell me the whole truth about her adventures either.

"Must've been fun," she replied, obviously knowing this wasn't the whole truth. That's what I liked about Angela, she didn't ask questions. I nodded slowly, and then something, or rather someone, caught my eye. "Ah, you've spotted them," Angela whispered to me.

"They're pretty hard to miss," I replied and then shielded my eyes. "They're more pale then me. Those are the Kallens…"

"Cullens," Angela corrected. "But same difference."

"They're pretty freaking scary," I smiled. "Especially the big one."

"That's Emmett, the oldest. The blond female is Rosalie…"

"You can tell what type of doctor their father is just by looking at them," Eric joked from beside me. "Though I must say she's pretty damn…"

"Drop it Eric," Jessica whispered.

"The blond male is Rosalie's twin, Jasper, they and Emmett are seniors," Angela explained. "The shorty is Alice, she's a junior," Angela thought for a moment. "She's a little strange."

"How so?" I asked.

"She likes to stare of into space and she gets this glazed over look," Jessica whispered. "She and Jasper are a couple, as are Rosalie and Emmett."

"And the other male is Edward," Eric taunted. "He's been in Forks four days and already he has all the girls swooning over him."

"Not every girl," I hissed and then smiled. I couldn't help but keep my eyes off him though. He was gorgeous, but of course he was NOT my type. What was my type again? I couldn't remember.

* * *

After lunch I had science, or biology, or whatever it was they were calling it. Like you needed a fancy name for a class where you looked at plant cells. As if the name alone would make it more exciting. I hated science more then any other class. In science, you couldn't take naps. In science, if you took naps, you could die.

I dawdled to class, not worrying after the first bell rang about the fact that I was going in the wrong direction. I circled the school, going up and down each and every corridor. I went into each of the bathrooms and met a girl who was nice enough to give me a cigarette. Now that's what you call a good person. We sat on the bathroom floor for twenty minutes, just talking and smoking. We would have stayed there longer but some preppy little biotch came in and threatened to tell on us.

I walked with her to her math class, I had forgotten her name. Once she was gone I retraced my steps and finally decided to go to science.

I wrote myself a fake pass from the nurse and walked into the classroom.

"Miss Swan, you're late."

"Yeah, I know," I grumbled as I handed him my pass. He looked it over and nodded before throwing it out.

"If you have any more problems just let me know," he whispered to me. I nodded professionally.

"Where do you want me?" I asked and he looked startled by my question. His speechless reaction didn't even faze me. "Perv, I meant where do you want me to sit." I shuddered violently. The teacher's face reddened in nothing flat.

"Oh, of course I knew that's what you meant," he stammered. "You can sit next to Mr. Cullen." He nodded to the back of the room and I didn't even look up as I walked in the direction he had designated. The name sounded firm liar, probably some geek who had had his name announced over the loud speaker for winning some sort of academic award. I sighed and looked up right as I was about to take my seat, and then I went weak in the knees. Staring up at me with gorgeous honey colored eyes, was the bronze haired boy.

The one that almost all the girls swooned over.

Correction, the one that EVERY girl swooned over.

* * *

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**SET...**

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**By the way I know this is short but it was written late at night when I couldn't sleep (thanks to a chain mail that scared the F*** out of me). So deal with it!**

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	5. Chapter 5

**So sorry for the long delay. It's been almost three weeks since I wrote a chapter, usually I update a lot more often then this. Or maybe I'm exaggerating I'm not sure. I promise the next chapters will come a lot quicker. **

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**Since there is rain forcasted throughout the week, I'll be doing a lot of reading. If you would like me to read one of you stories, (or any stories you really liked) and review them please send me the title of your story and I will. Just iclude it in a review or a PM. **

* * *

As if in slow motion I walked to the seat the teacher had indicated, the only open seat in the classroom. I felt more self-conscious then ever, as if everyone in the world was staring at me, watching my every move and marking it down for further reference. I sat down, none too gracefully, in the chair next to the Cullen boy. He winced before my butt had even touched the chair. Worse then that, he tried to hide his expression. The boy wasn't too smart; I could see his face reflected in the glass of the window.

"Do you have a problem with me?" I asked in a whisper. His head shot around and he shook his head quickly, and then turned back. He had his hands over his nose and mouth; his eyes were squinted in disgust. Without thinking I smelled my shirt, not able to remember if it was clean or not. I pulled at my hair and smelled that too. Nothing. I smelled perfectly fine, maybe even better then usual. "Liar," I sneered. There was no response.

I sat through the class, antsy and restless, ready to spring from my chair at the very moment the bell rang. The Cullen boy beat me to it though, only seconds before the bell rang he stood, and was out the door by the time it _did_ ring. "What's his problem?" Cat whispered from beside me.

"Oh he has a rare disease," I replied. "Called bastard-itis." We laughed and then went our separate ways. I was headed towards gym, my least favorite class. I wasn't what one would call coordinated. To be frank and completely honest I was an utter klutz. I made the split-second decision to ditch gym; I would fail that class anyway, so not going wasn't going to hurt me at all.

I left the school, which wasn't exactly hard to do, and got into my truck. It roared to life and, like usual, for a millisecond I was worried about getting caught. I shook that thought off and pulled out of my parking spot. I turned out onto the main road and made the choice at that moment to go surprise Jacob.

* * *

I waited outside Jake's school for a half-hour. Nearly all the cars were gone by the time he came out of the building. Jacob went to school on the reservation, only a few blocks from his house. Most days he walked to school, in the winter he drove his Rabbit.

"Hey Bella!" he said and he lifted me into a huge hug.

"Hi Jake. Put me down," I demanded.

"You ditched?" he asked, as if he didn't already know.

"Just last period gym," I answered. We were walking towards my truck. "How was your day?" I asked in an attempt to make conversation. I really just wanted him to ask me about my day, I wanted to vent about that Cullen kid.

"Alright, got detention tomorrow morning. I'm gonna skip it."

"What did you do?" I asked, not really curious.

"Got in a fight," he said, and then added, "I won."

"You usually do."

"So how was your day?"

"Horrible."

"Awe, poor Bella. Why?"

"You remember what I was telling you about the new family, the Cullens?"

"The weird ones? Yeah." We were in my truck now; I started it and pulled out onto the road, going wherever it would take us.

I ranted on in full detail about my day, especially my encounters with the Cullens, and my science partner's rudeness. "He hates me," I finished in conclusion.

"First of all Bella, I doubt he hates you," Jacob began. "And second of all, since when do you care what people think about you? That's not you Bells."

I thought about this for a minute or so. "I didn't say that I cared that he hated me. I don't care if he hates me. I was just wondering what I had done to make him hate me."

"I don't even see why you're worried about it. Maybe you two just aren't destined to get along."

"I still feel like crap. I don't even know why!"

"If it makes you feel better we could go make some trouble over at his house," Jacob winked at me.

"Jake, I don't wanna egg the Cullens house. Or scratch up their cars, no matter how shiny they are. I don't want to throw rocks at their windows or anything like that," I made a left hand turn into the supermarket parking lot.

"So we _are_ gonna egg their house?" Jacob asked sounding excited.

"No," I replied and I witnessed Jacob's expression and his hopes drop rapidly. "I have to get dinner for me and Charlie. That doesn't mean we'll never egg their house though." I added that last sentence in an attempt to make him feel better. It seemed to have worked, for now.

"Listen Bella," Jacob began. "I'm gonna go home, just promise me you won't think about this guy. He means nothing Bell; he's not worth your thoughts, or your trouble." I nodded.

"You want me to drop you off?"

"Nah, I'll walk." Jacob jumped out of the truck. "I'll talk to you soon. Don't worry about it okay?" I nodded again, and watched as Jacob walked in the direction of his home, waiting until he was out of sight before I pulled out of the parking lot. I hadn't gone into the store; I really hadn't been planning on going in anyway. I knew that Jake would take this as his hint to leave.

Though Jacob had told me to, I couldn't stop thinking about the Cullen boy. He was the only thing on my mind as I drove home.

* * *

That night I had the strangest dream, strange but terrifying.

I had been walking through a forest with Jacob, but soon he was gone, disappearing into thin air. Edward Cullen was then next to me. His face was hidden in his hands, but the bronze colored hair gave away his identity.

I remembered marveling at his hair, the way the light danced off it and made it look even more beautiful. I stared at his pale skin, and reached out to touch it with my index finger, and when I did it was as cold as ice. I looked up at his face, and it was covered in blood, as were his hands. I tried to scream in terror but no matter how hard I tried no sound would come out of my mouth. Eventually my face began to hurt so much that I gave up, declaring myself defeated.

The whole time the Cullen boy just stared at me, not making a sound. His family was with him soon, his two brothers and two sisters, along with an older man and woman, in their early twenties. These two were faceless, but just as pale.

Slowly they came closer to me, and then they began to circle around me. I gave one last effort at yelling for help and finally an ear shattering scream erupted from my mouth.

* * *

"Bella, Bella!"

"Stop shaking me Charlie," I groaned as I sat up slowly. I was on the floor with my blankets toppled next to me in a heap.

"Are you alright? You just kept screaming! I couldn't wake you up. I didn't know what to do!"

"I'm fine Charlie," I replied and I stood up. I had a headache, and my back hurt from where I had most likely fallen on it. I was covered in my own cold sweat. "What time is it?" I asked looking out the window. The sky was dark, but in Forks, that didn't mean much. It could have been noon and there wouldn't be a difference between that and midnight.

"It's ten, in the morning. I'll call the school, get back in bed. Then I'll call the doctor. I think you've come down with something."

For the first time in a long time I obeyed my dad's command and climbed back into bed. I was shivering, so I hastily wrapped my blankets around me. It was amazing how someone could make you feel so sick.

_Then again, _I thought as I felt a peculiar feeling in my stomach. _Maybe I actually am sick._ I scrambled out of bed and sprinted to the bathroom. I made it to the toilet just in time.

* * *

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	6. Chapter 6

**I don't own Twilight or any of the books in the serious. :( **

* * *

Sorry this chapter is running a bit shorter then my previous chapters. I'm running low on time but I know people start getting antsy when new chapters aren't coming in. I DO however own 5 pairs of new shoes, and the personality that has been given to Bella. In case you haven't guessed yet, she's DEFINATELY OOC!

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* * *

"Bella," Charlie called as he cracked opened my door. "We're going to go to the hospital now." He was speaking quietly, calmly, yet he still sounded worried. I slowly climbed out of bed and slipped on my sneakers. I felt woozy and lightheaded. I allowed Charlie to support me as we made our way through the hallway and down the stairs.

The car ride to the hospital was excruciating. The entire time I felt nauseous and it took all my strength to hold in what I had eaten for dinner the night before. I stepped out of the car and slowly made my way inside. It was raining, and by the time I made it to the big glass revolving door I was soaked to the bone.

"Just take a seat Bells, I'll sign you in," Charlie told me, and I obeyed. I took a seat in the nearest vacant chair, an ugly brown recliner. I watched Charlie at the reception desk, making sure not to look at the others in the waiting room.

I didn't like being around sick people, I _really_ didn't like being around people who were injured. Especially if they were bleeding, I couldn't stand the sight, or smell, of blood. Finally Charlie came to sit across from me with a clip board in his hand. He began answering the questions written on the sheets of paper. Just the normal, useless information. Things like; is the patient experiencing any amount of discomfort? OBVIOUSLY.

* * *

We sat in the waiting room for about ten minutes before a nurse came in, "Isabella Swan?" she called. I reluctantly stood, feeling the eyes of the others upon me as I followed her through the wood door and along a lengthy hallway. "Dr. Cullen will be in to see you shortly," she said as she waved Charlie and me into a room with the number 3 on the door.

"Did you persuade them to let me go ahead of all the other patients?" I demanded of Charlie as soon as the nurse had left us alone.

"No, there are some things that can go unsaid in a small town. You should know that," Charlie answered.

"I haven't been seriously sick in God knows how long!" I whispered angrily.

"I know, that's why I'm so worried about you. Settle down, you'll just make yourself more sick."

* * *

After another five minutes of waiting, there was a knock on the door. "Come on in," Charlie replied. The door opened and in stepped a man probably in his mid twenties, maybe thirty at the most. He was extremely pale, with light blond hair and looks that a woman his age would die for, and any man his age would kill for.

"Hello Charlie," he said shaking my dad's hand. "And you must be Isabella?" he asked looking at me. _No I'm Charlie's OTHER daughter,_ I thought.

"Just Bella," I corrected him.

"Alright, Bella," the doctor said as he placed a clipboard on the table next to my chair. "What seems to be the problem?"

"I'm feeling a little nauseous, and I had a pretty high fever. This morning I took some Tylenol to bring the fever down, but it's probably almost warn off by now. I still feel sick to my stomach though," I explained. Dr. Cullen took out a thermometer and had me hold it in my mouth until it began to beep.

"One hundred and one point two," he said more to himself then anyone else. "Charlie, I'm pretty sure she only has a stomach bug. Take her home, and if she doesn't feel better in a few days, bring her back." To me he said, "Take some more Tylenol, drink a lot of fluid and get some rest." I nodded and hopped of the table, stumbling a little on my landing.

"Thank you Dr. Cullen," Charlie said and he ushered me out of the room.

"Wait," I said as we drove home. "That was Dr. Cullen?" It had taken me this long to piece it together.

"Yes, Dr. Carlisle Cullen. The Cullens just moved here. Remember?"

"Yes."

"Dr. Cullen is an amazing doctor, and we're lucky to have him. It's just a good thing his wife wanted to live in a small town."

"They have five teenage kids," I said. "They can't be old enough to have five teenaged kids."

"They're adopted Bella, or foster children."

"Oh," I was becoming dizzy. I couldn't recall if I had heard that from someone at school or not.

"They're good kids."

"They haven't even lived here for a week dad," I replied rolling my eyes.

"Don't matter, I can just tell."

* * *

The next day I was feeling much better, but Charlie still insisted I stay home. "You'll be alright alone while I'm at work?" he asked.

"Yes Charlie," I replied. "I mean dad."

"No friends over while I'm gone," he ordered.

"I know the drill."

"Alright, call me if you need anything." He picked up his gun and walked out the door. I followed him down the stairs and locked the front door behind him. I collapsed on the couch, I wasn't really one to watch TV, but since there was nothing better to do I figured why not?

I flipped through the channels; nothing seemed to appeal to me. Soap operas, game shows, sports, news, ugh. There was nothing good on. I flipped to the old movie channel and left it, too tired to go on. The opening credits of the next movie filled the screen.

_PRESENTING:_

_BASED ON THE 1987 NOVEL BY BRAM STOKER…_

_DIRECTED BY TOD BROWNING_

_STARRING BéLA LUGOSI_

_DRACULA._

I had never seen the original version of Dracula, the one in black-and-white. I flipped onto my side and stared intently at the screen.

* * *

Looking back on it, watching Dracula probably wasn't the best plan. I suffered through yet another sleepless night. Another night with my thoughts of Edward Cullen.

* * *

"Bella, you look horrible," Charlie told me the next morning when I came down for breakfast. "How do you feel?" _Because that's exactly what every teenage girl wants to hear. _

"Fine dad," I replied getting a bowl from the cabinet.

"Take another day off Bella, get some more rest," Charlie said, though it was more of a request.

"You don't have to ask me twice," I answered. I didn't get much rest though. Instead I caught up on my laundry, called Jacob, who had skipped school to go down to the beach, and finally around two o' clock I collapsed on the couch for a long anticipated, and very much needed nap.

* * *

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	7. Chapter 7

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* * *

There was a knock on the door, I reluctantly stood from my breakfast and made my way to the front door. I opened it a crack, expecting to see the mailman staring back at me. Instead though, it was a short black haired girl with pail skin and golden eyes. "Hello!" she said, sounding cheery. "You're Bella," it wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"Can I help you?" I asked, trying to sound as rude as possible. I wasn't in the mood to deal with someone as hyper and peppy as her.

"No, I just came to bring you your work. My brother was supposed to but he's…" she paused for a moment. "Feeling a bit under the weather right now," she finished quickly. I took the books and homework assignments from her.

"Thanks," I told her and then went to shut the door. She stood there for a few seconds before turning and leaving. "Wait!" I called once she had reached the driveway. "Who's your brother?"

"Edward Cullen, he sits next to you in Biology," she called back.

"Oh," and without another word I shut the front door. Throwing my books on the couch I stomped up the stairs to my room. I couldn't remember the black-haired girl's name. _Anna, Alyson, Amanda, Ariel. No, no, no and no._ For some strange reason that I could not fathom, it bothered me that I couldn't remember her name.

* * *

"So I see someone came by to drop your work off today," this was Charlie's attempt at making conversation with me over dinner.

"Yeah, one of Dr. Cullen's daughters," I replied as I twisted my spaghetti around on my fork.

"Which one?"

"ALICE!" I cried, finally remembering her name. "Her name's Alice," I added a little more quietly. Charlie gave me a look which suggested he thought I was insae.

"That was nice of her."

"Yes it was," I replied sarcastically. I hated how people always thought it was nice that someone brought your work to you. No child or teen in their right mind _wanted_ to do the makeup work. So no it wasn't nice that she had brought me my homework. But I couldn't very well tell Charlie that.

"So you're going back to school on Monday."

"We'll see."

"That wasn't a question; you're going back to school on Monday." It wasn't like Charlie to be so paternal. Usually he didn't stick his nose into my life and I didn't stick my nose into his. "I didn't know you were friends with the Cullen girl," Charlie noted, changing the subject.

"I'm not. I just met her today. I sit next to her brother in Biology," I wondered why Edward had been sent home with my work. Why not one of my friends? And how did Alice know where I lived? _That's what you get when you live in a small town._

"Well, it was nice of her just the same," Charlie replied. I took the opportunity to stand from the kitchen table.

"I think I'm gonna go do some of my work," I told him, without waiting for a reply I left the room. I snatched my books and papers off of the couch and made sure to stomp my way up the stairs so Charlie knew I had gone to my room. I made as much noise as possible when I closed my door, locked it, and then walked across my room to my bed.

I sat cross legged on the middle of my bed and flipped through the pages of my math book. Dividing complex fraction, ugh. I slammed the book closed and tossed it, and my math assignments, to the floor.

Changing my focus to English I picked up the small paperback book, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I grimaced at it, as though the face I was making would insult it and make it disappear. I read the blurb on the back, "Guy Montag is a fireman whose job it is to start fire. And he enjoyed his job." _If I had that job I'd probably enjoy it too. Being the pyromaniac that I am._ "He had been a fireman for ten years, and he had never questioned the pleasure of the midnight runs or the joy of watching pages consumed by flames…" _What a jerk. Then again, I do find some thrill in going out at midnight with my friends. And I sure as hell would enjoy burning that math book. _"…never questioning anything until he met a seventeen-year-old girl who told him of a past where people were not afraid." _People are always afraid._ "Then Guy met a professor who told him of a future in which people could think." _Yeah right. Like that'll ever happen._ "And Guy Montag realized what he had to do…"

_And Isabella Swan realized what she had to do… _I tossed the book on the floor in aggravation. No way was I going to read some stupid science fiction novel. No way was I going to read any book at all. I pushed the rest of my books off my bed and onto the floor. I put my head down and closed my eyes, feeling more tired then I had in a long time. I kept thinking about the stupid book. I couldn't get the blurb out of my head. It just kept playing over and over, like a broken record.

I grabbed my CD player off the night stand and pressed play. Immediately the thudding beats and electric guitars came pounding into my head. I kicked my feet and shook my head to the beat, letting it consume me and toss me into oblivion. There were no words, just music. Very loud music.

* * *

I stayed awake until two in the morning listening to each song over and over until they crowded my head and left no room for the words on the back of the book.

* * *

"Bella," I looked up from my cereal. "Bella, over here!" I spun my head around so fast it made my neck hurt.

"Jake?" I smiled at him and stood to go open the kitchen window a little more.

"Is your dad here?"

"No…" I replied.

"Awesome, open the window some more so I can climb through." He began to lift himself up as he stuck one of his hands through the window which was only open halfway.

"Jake, just go around to the front door," I was laughing by this point. Seeing Jake struggle to stuff his body through the window would probably be the high point of my week. I walked through the house and opened the front door for Jacob, who was standing on the front porch by the time I got there.

"So no Sunday church?" Jacob asked as he walked inside and threw his rain coat on the floor.

"I haven't gone to church since I was eight," I told him as I picked up his jacket and hung it on the coat rack. "So Charlie goes to church and then goes to work right after."

"You look tired."

"I am tired."

"So do you wanna go to a movie or something?" Jacob asked nervously.

"Nah, I have a ton of work to makeup. I've been home sick since Wednesday."

"You could've called I would've come over and hung out with you."

"Well, next time then." I was trying so hard to restrain myself from pushing Jake out the door. I really wanted to be alone, and I really did need to do my work. Charlie had told me that if it wasn't done by the time he got home from work, I would be in huge trouble.

"So you really have to do work huh?" Jacob asked as he sat down on the couch. Obviously he wasn't getting the hint.

"Charlie's exact words were," I coughed a little to make my voice sound more like my father's. "If you don't have every single question done, you will not be going anywhere, ever again." I smiled and shrugged apologetically. Jake stood and went to the door.

"I can take a hint," he smiled and put on his jacket. I opened the front door and waved him out.

"I'll call you soon!" I yelled after him as he got into his Rabbit and left.

* * *

**Everyone who reviews gets a special prize! I'm going to start working on a new story soooooon. I'm really excited about it. I'm pretty sure it's either going to be an Alice and Jasper fic or and Edward and Bella one. **

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	8. Chapter 8

**I'm so tired! School starts back up in 13 days. I don't want to go back. )-; **

**THANK YOU TOOOOOOOOO: **

**Ally soccer girl **

**whom I apologize to for not mentioning in the previous chapters. If you're still reading this I'm soooooooooo sorry!! **

**This chapter is especially for you! **

* * *

I was woken early by the sun shining through my window. I started and sat bolt upright when the stream of light came over my eyes. It wasn't very often that you got a sunny day in Forks. I stretched and hopped out of bed, feeling more energized then I had in days, maybe even weeks or months. I quickly pulled on a pair of denim shorts and a black t-shirt. I tied my hair up into a ponytail as I skipped down the stairs. "Morning Dad!" I yelled into the kitchen where Charlie was seated at the table eating breakfast.

"Hey Bella," he mumbled over the top of his newspaper. I grabbed myself an apple and hurried to gather my books and homework assignments. "How're you feeling?" Charlie asked as he folded his paper and set it down on the kitchen table.

"Much better," I called as I left the kitchen and walked through the living room. "Have a good day!" I opened the front door and stepped onto the porch. The air was warm, but not in a humid way. The sun beat down on my pale skin, feeling like a slice of heaven. It was the perfect day.

* * *

It was hard to focus in school with the sunlight shining through the windows, especially when you're so used to gloom and darkness. I didn't hear a word any of my teachers said, not that that was anything new.

After lunch I reluctantly dragged myself to biology. I took my seat at the table and waited for my ass-hole of a lab partner to come and join me. The bell that signaled the beginning of the period rang and still Mr. What's-his-name was nowhere to be found. "Miss Swan?" I heard the teacher say. "Are you expecting someone?" I realized at that moment that I was staring out the door and into the hallway. I turned my head slowly back to the front of the room and shook my head.

_Why should I care that he's not here? It's not like he's a nice person, or nice to look at. He's rude and obnoxious and I shouldn't be worrying myself with his whereabouts I should be focusing on learning. _I smiled a little to myself without meaning to. _Me focus on learning? Now that's funny. _I heard myself laugh a little despite my attempts to silence my giggles.

_Like I'm actually going to need to know the anatomy of a frog once I'm at of this place! Or what the difference stages of mitosis are. _I tried to cover my mouth with my hands, but that didn't seem to mask the noises. Next I tried biting the cap of my pen.

_This teacher thinks I'm insane, I bet the whole class thinks I'm insane. _The teacher began writing notes on the board. I took out my notebook and pretended to be intrigued by whatever it was that he was scribbling. _Isabella Swan go to the principal's office. _That was funny. I looked up to see the teacher standing right next to me.

"Now," he said. I looked up at the board, there was nothing written there. I sighed and got to me feet, collecting my things and taking my time. I was trying to make as much of a scene as possible. I stomped my feet dramatically as I walked out the door. I could hear students mumbling behind me as I left. _What do I care? I'll never see these kids again after senior year. And my friends would think that that little show I just put on is worthy of an Academy Award. _

* * *

I knew the principal well. I probably spent more time in his office then in any of my classes. I opened the door and sat myself down in one of the plastic chairs. I dropped my books to the floor one by one, trying to get the secretary's attention. "Yes Miss Swan I see you," she said with a hint of displeasure and irritation in her voice. "It'll be a few minutes; Mr. Miller is in a meeting."

"Oh he can take his time," I said with a wave of my hand. "I have gym next period," I whispered to her as though it was the code to a bank safe that held millions of dollars in diamonds and gold. She nodded her head and walked away. "Oh, it's so boring in here!" I yelled to her. Though she was out of sight I knew she had gone into the copy room just a few feet away. I waited for her answer but none came. Feeling resigned, I looked over the math assignment that I was supposed to do for homework that night. "Ugh math homework!" I yelled even louder. Still no answer.

I was board out of my mind, and I had only been there for three minutes. Forget detention. In detention you got to shoot spitballs at the poor sap of a teacher who had nothing better to do then sit and look after a bunch of useless good-for-nothing teenagers. They should just put all the misbehaved kids in separate rooms, with no one to talk to and nothing to look at accept blank walls and a clock that seemed to move more and more slowly each time you glanced at it. Now that would be a punishment.

"Hey Bella," Eric called as he walked out of Mr. Miller's office carrying a bright orange detention slip. "Lovely day isn't it?" he asked in a horribly fake British accent. I laughed lightly.

"It is, too bad we'll be spending it in detention."

"What are you in for?"

"I'm not actually sure. You?" I felt like I was in prison, talking to one of the other inmates about the crimes we'd committed.

"I locked a freshman in the teacher's bathroom," he laughed loudly, boastfully, as if he were proud of having nothing better to do with his time then torture kids that were younger then him. I joined in with his laughter though it didn't feel right. "I'll see you in detention!" he continued laughing as he walked out the door. I sighed and leaned my head back until it hit the wall with a dull thump.

"Miss Swan?" I knew it was Mr. Miller's voice. I stood from my chair.

"Just when I got comfortable," I grumbled as I walked through the door to his office which he was kindly holding open for me. I took a seat in the spinning chair.

"Ahem," Mr. Miller coughed. He motioned for me to take a seat in one of the much less comfortable, sticky leather chairs on the opposite side of his desk. I switched my seats and then waited for him to take his seat and begin lecturing me. "You know why you're here I presume?" he asked as he began to fill out a bright orange detention slip. My name was on the top in big letters.

"You presume wrong," I told him as arrogantly as I could.

"You were being disruptive in class."

"Oh _that_," I said and I waved my hand and rolled my eyes in a dramatic fashion. "I was just thinking some things to myself and I found them quite hilarious. I had a little outburst of laughter, that's all."

"Maybe next time you can control your little outbursts of laughter," he said not looking up from the paper.

"Maybe if biology wasn't so boring," I replied. Without anything else being said Mr. Miller handed me my detention slip. "Three days?!" I yelled.

"You've been warned numerous times. Yes, three days starting today, maybe that'll teach you something."

"So no lecture? You just sign this little piece of paper and send me on my way?" I questioned.

"Exactly." I stood and walked out the door, feeling agitated.

* * *

I knew everyone in detention that day. Even the people who weren't in my grade. There wasn't a single face that I couldn't put a name to. We tortured the teacher so much that he was hiding under his desk by the time the period was over. "Nice seeing you Mr. Carter!" Eric slapped the teacher on his back, which made the teacher cringe in an almost paranoid way. "See you tomorrow." Mr. Carter mumbled something about there not being any tomorrow.

"Hey Bella," Angela called as I walked across the parking lot to my car. "You wanna come down to La Push with us? You can bring your friend… What's his name again?"

"Jacob," I replied without thinking. I didn't need to think about Jacob, he was just there, whenever I needed him.

"Actually Angela we were planning on going on a three day road trip," Eric yelled from across the parking lot. "You in?" Angela nodded her head in excitement. "Bella?!" Eric was nearly screaming, his voice rising a little in pitch.

"Absolutely!" I screamed to him in reply. "When are we leaving?"

"Tomorrow after school! We're taking Mike's van! You can bring your friend!" I nodded, a huge smile spreading across my face. "We'll be back by Monday!"

"I thought you said it was a three day trip?" Angela cried.

"Three days there and three days back!" Eric replied and then he climbed into his car and was gone. I waved goodbye to Angela and started my truck.

* * *

"Hey Jake?" I whispered into my phone. It was two in the morning.

"What's wrong Bella?" Jacob seemed alert and ready to spring into action, as though he suspected something bad was happening.

"You better pack, we're going on a road trip! We're leaving tomorrow after school and we'll be back on Monday you in?" I said this all in one breath.

"Yeah who's going?"

"Some of my friends from school. You've met them. Angela, Eric, and Mike. Maybe a few other people." I waited in the black silence of my room for his reply.

"Alright I'm in," he said sounding resigned.

"Cool, I'll pick you up around ten tomorrow morning. We'll hang around until four and then we're gone." I hung up the phone and crawled under my covers, smiling brightly to myself for no reason in particular.

* * *

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	9. Chapter 9

**You guys love me right? So I ask of you two, rather large, but yet manageable favors...**

**1.) Please, please, please, please, please one million times please forgive me for not updating in what seems like forever. I've been so busy with school and everything (I know horrible excuse) but I'm finally beginning to manage it and I'm ready to write and update a lot more often! **

**2.) This one is optional, BUT, it would mean a lot to me, and this person if you went and read Bowling For Love, by rOses234. It's decent but she definitely need a little (meaning constructive criticism not rudey dudey ness.) It would mean so much to her, and we both would be forever grateful. LOVE YOU! and let me know what you think of her story too. (And to me you can be truthful, she'll never know.) **

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**No time to read over my work... and I'm not just being lazy! Hopefully it's good. :) **

* * *

From the top of the mountain, the valley below looked like just long a green sheet of paper that a small child decided to splatter paint with acrylic colors. Upon close inspection, the spots of color were actually various types of flowers, and the changing leaves of upcoming autumn. It was sunny in the mountains, but also a lot colder then it was down below. I found this strange because hot air is suppose to rise. Jacob stood next to me, a look of concern stretched across his tan, round face. I could tell he was afraid of me falling over and rolling down the mountain.

Wouldn't that be a sight to behold, Bella rolling down an enormous mountain and Jacob chasing her the whole way? I laughed as I stepped back and made my towards the camp we had built. There was a fire going, and everyone was huddled around it in a circle roasting marshmallows and hot dogs.

"Weiner Bella?" Eric asked as he held up a stick with a hot dog on it. I grabbed it from his hand and took a seat on the ground next to Jake.

"So there's some kind of harvest festival in town tomorrow." Angela was saying as she warmed her hands in front of the flames. "Crafts and jewelry and stuff."

"Food?" Mike asked.

"Of course," Angela replied with a wave of her hand and a smile.

"Then I'm in!" There was laughter followed by silence.

"Fine but then the next day we have to go hiking, through the woods," Eric said.

"Ooh, me, the woods, I'm not sure that such a great idea…" There were more scattered bits of laughter.

"Oh Bella, don't worry, if you fall and break your leg, we promise we won't leave you there for the wolves," Mike smiled.

"Or the bears!" Eric added a little too excitedly, I wasn't paying much attention to them. My attention was on Jacob, who at the word "wolves" had stiffened quickly and almost violently beside me.

"Oh, but of course you know the _real_ monsters of the woods?" Jessica laughed, speaking for the first time all night.

"Uh oh, do I sense a scary story coming on?" Eric laughed again.

"Are you high?" Angela asked him.

"Just a little bit." More scattered fits of laughter followed this sarcastic remark. I stretched and felt myself yawn.

"Well," I stood and stretched again. The leaves ruffled and their was a howl in the distance. "I say we head in for the night." Jacob stood obediently and nodded his silent but eager agreement.

"Oh Bella, always the spoil sport," Mike mocked tisking me shaking his head, but he stood too, and slowly but surely everyone began to trickle off into their tents. I headed towards the south end of our campground, where I was sharing a tent with Angela and Jessica.

* * *

"Jesus Bella your elbow is like a lethal weapon or something," Jessica complained loudly, rubbing her side as we made our way down the steep mountain side into the valley below. "Next time maybe you could borrow a bigger tent from Newton's."

Newton's was the outdoor, sportsman like shopped where I worked, even though I wasn't very outdoorsy at all. It was own and run by Mike's mother, and though I'd been working there for almost a year, I still didn't know her first name.

"Stop complaining Jess," Mike argued, he was always ready to protect and defend my honor. Below us you could see the many colors of the craft fair. We were getting closer now, only a few hundred yards away from our destination. Angela and Jessica were leading, while the rest of us were rather reluctant to be going. Sometimes I wondered why Jess and Ang were even in our group. Aside from the fact that received detention rather often, they were pretty much like any other average girl in our school.

Jake and I hung back a little ways from them. I felt bad for dragging him into this. He knew Mike and Eric, and Angela and Jessica well enough; from the times we had met up at La Push or seen each other at the movies. However, he wasn't overly friendly with them. I could tell by the look on his face that he was uncomfortable and possibly even regretting agreeing to come along.

"Woops," I said as I stumbled. He caught me by the arm; his hands were warm, although outside it chilly, and as usual, damp. I attributed it to the fact that Jake had a habit of walking with his hands in his pockets, and put it in the back of my mind. We were walking along a narrow wooded path now, like something out of a fairy tale. We ushered along in single file, walking over fallen branches and trying our best to avoid poison ivy or slippery surfaces.

"Finally!" Jessica erupted as we reached a break in the trees. "I thought we'd never get here!" She asserted herself in front of Angela as she made her way into the center of the fair. There were carts and vendors selling all types of items in all typed of colors. There were knit scarves in blue, gold, white, red, and black. Beaded necklaces in pinks and purples and turquoises and silvers. Painted mugs, pots, and vases, and even a large cart that was selling "Rare Books and Other Readable Items."

"Other readable items?" Mike snickered as he read the sign and turned on his heel to walk in the opposite direction. Angela and Jessica were fussing over a pair of earrings; Mike was over at another cart waving Eric over. I turned and looked around, craning my neck to see over the heads of people walking by or standing around stands selling cheap handmade goods. Jake was no where to be found.

I sighed in resentment, finally coming to the realization that maybe this hadn't been the best idea ever. Maybe this trip would be the exact opposite of what I was hoping for or had expected it to be. I began making my way over to the least crowded cart I could find, not realizing until I reached my destination that it was the "Rare Books and Other Readable Items," cart.

"May I help you?" An old lady with long, dark grey hair and deep set, dark brown eyes popped out from behind the stand holding a small leather, rather old and ragged looking book.

"What does this sign mean by "Other Readable Items?"?" I asked trying to keep the sarcasm out of my voice.

"Rare magazines and old pieces of paper, with lists of herbal remedies and such," the old lady had a voice that reminded me of Yoda from Star Wars. "This," she said nodding to the book she held in her hands. "Is a book written by a wicken healer. It tells about how to cures disease as simple as the common cold, to extremely complex herbal remedies for things such as," she sighed deeply, having said the previous statement in one breath. "If one were to find oneself or ones friend stricken with the disease of the lycanthropes or that of the night walkers. And if one is interest in such topics as the beasts that roam our world in disguise, may I request _this_ book to you young lady." I looked around before taking the book she held out to me.

This book was leather too, but not as torn or old looking as the other book I had seen. "…and it also details the transformation process, and the different types of vampires that there are."

"I'll take it," I said calmly holding up a hand. I didn't really want the book, what I wanted was for that lady to stop talking. She smiled a toothless smile;

"Very well, that'll be 35.99." Sighing, I pulled out my wallet and dropped the bills into her outstretched hand. Without another word I turned and left, shoving the book into my bag as I turned and made my way to the back of a figure I had immediately recognized as Jacob.

* * *

**REVIEW! **

**Lots of Love ~Manda**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's note... yeah sorry if you were expecting a new chapter. I was too. I'm not here to make excuses, actually I_ should _have another chapter posted tomorrow because it's.. A SNOW DAY!! YAY!! And then i only have a few days left until Christmas vacation starts which means nine days to write and post. **

**I'm posting this little author's note to ask your guys' opinion on something(s). First of all i'm telling you now that I've got no time to be gramatically correct so the rest of this is going to stink when it comes to grammar. **

**1) I'm thinking of starting up a blog, hopefully this'll remind me to write more often. i'd post stuff like what i'm up to and things from the stories and stuff. it's not a website like i wanted but... it's free. so let me know what you think and which blogging site you think is best. i know of a few, wordpress, livejournal, blogger... **

**2) I'm always looking for new great reads so i was hoping that maybe you guys could request a few things to me. (I'd probably post some of these on my blog too. what i think etc.) Right now i'm reading the maximum ride series by James Paterson and it's absolutely amazing. i definately suggest you read it. Stories you've read on here that you like would do too... :)**

**3) In case i don't get to talk to you tomorrow via a REAL chapter, i hope you all enjoy your holidays and have a great new year! **

**~ Mandy Rose **


	11. Chapter 11

**Yay! Finally another chapter! **

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**Yeah i know these are just the new people and the people who reviewed last week but i wasn't going to type every single name when i could be posting the story! So anyway, i think i'm just going to put up the people who review or who are new. Sorry. Just remember i love you all!  
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* * *

"What's with the book?" Jacob asked trying to snatch it out of my hands. I shrugged and put it inside my bag.

"That lady over there made me buy it," I complained. "Forty dollars wasted on something I'll never even look at again."

"Bella, I'm surprised at you. Giving in to the man, or old lady as the case may be." He shook his head disapprovingly.

"Did you find anything good?" I asked him as I looked up into the sky at the gray clouds that had appeared as if by magic along the horizon. They were steadily making their way towards us.

"Nah," Jacob replied, looking up too to see what I was staring at. "Looks like rain," he commented.

"Yup."

* * *

We continued in a large circle for a little while, hardly stopping to look at anything, not really talking. That was how it was sometimes though; silence is golden as they say. It wasn't exactly a picturesque town with beautiful little nineteenth century homes and gardens and little bakeries everywhere, but it had some sort of charm about it. The trees here had already begun to transform to beautiful oranges and golds, and the street was made of stone. A setting that would be peaceful, maybe, if there weren't as many people around.

"Coffee?" Jacob nodded towards a small coffee shop to our left.

"Why not?" I replied and followed him through the door. This place smelled amazing, like coffee and warm muffins and cinnamon. I looked over the chalkboard hanging above the counter that listed all the scrumptious items that this place had to offer.

"Can I help you?" a short girl with long black hair asked from behind the counter. She reminded me of someone, but I couldn't remember who…

"Yeah, um," I glanced over the blackboard one more time. "A raspberry muffin and a large coffee, please."

"Same," Jacob said from my left. The girl nodded and moved to go fetch our order.

"Here you go, have a nice day," she handed me a bag and then each of us a coffee.

"You too," I told her and then followed Jacob to a table in the back of the room.

* * *

I can't really tell you how long we stayed in that coffee shop just staring out the window and making rude comments about the people who walked by. It was fun, just like what we normally did back home. I started to actually enjoy the trip.

It was dark outside now, but it was only about two in the afternoon. The rain clouds I had seen earlier were now directly above us. It was gloomy outside, but in the warm coffee shop it was hard to notice it. People were beginning to head into tiny shops and the vendors outside were packing up their things, getting ready to leave before the storm.

"I think," Jacob started. "We should find your friends and get outa here. Back to the camp before the rain starts."

"I think," I mocked him and he shook his head. "You are absolutely right Jake." We stood and left the coffee house, turning left and making our way down the now virtually empty street.

"Where do you think they are?" Jacob looked around a little bit, like it would really help us.

"Not sure," I shrugged. We started glancing through store windows in search of them, it just wasn't worth it. They were no where to be found. "We should just head back, that's what they'd do." I wasn't lying, that is undoubtedly what they would do if the situation were reversed. I looked up into the gray sky, exasperated.

* * *

And then it started to rain.

* * *

And this wasn't like most storm where the rain comes in a mist, and then a drizzle, and steadily picks up pace. This started as a full on _downpour_.

"I hate rain," Jacob growled at the sky.

"Yes, your frustration is so scary, that it's going to make the rain stop."

Jacob mumbled something that was inaudible, but I'm relatively sure it was rude. Then he said, "I think I saw a main road through the window of the coffee shop, in that direction," he pointed behind him in the direction we had just come.

"Oh, Jake," I sighed. "I promised Charlie that I wouldn't. I mean I _promised_. He said if I did it again I'd be in huge trouble!"

"Since when have you cared?"

"It's dangerous," I said in more of a guessing tone then anything else. Jacob made the sad puppy dog face at me.

"Would you rather get soaking wet?"

"No," I murmured.

* * *

"I hate you for this." I told Jacob as we stood on the side of what I guessed was a highway, drenched to the skin after only five minutes, with our thumbs sticking up.

"Where's your sense of adventure Bella?" Jacob laughed from beside me.

"One day, I have a feeling your sense of adventure is going to get both of us killed."

"I'm offended, if anything it'll be your own clumsiness that's gets you killed. Though I will not argue that my sense of adventure will most likely get us into the situation in the first place."

I shook my head, not really making sense of what he had said. There was an SVU coming our way now, lights shining brightly, making me squint in the rain which was blowing into my face. It stopped in front of us and Jacob gave of a loud sigh of relief.

"Where you kids headed?" the driver of the SUV asked after he had lowered his window about an inch.

"Forks," Jacob yelled over the wind.

"Well, ya'll can climb on in, I'm headed that way myself." Seeing as the front seat was taken up by the man's dog we both climbed into the backseat.

"See, it's all good, Bella," Jacob smiled.

"Yeah, it's all good, Bella," the driver said and then we were off.


	12. Chapter 12

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* * *

"You did what?!"

"Char… Dad, we just needed to…" truthfully I didn't really have an excuse.

"I don't care! As clear as day I told you never to hitch-hike again! You could've been killed or dropped off in the middle of nowhere!" Charlie screamed at me. He turned to Jacob, "This was all his idea wasn't it?" Charlie was talking to me though he was looking directly at Jake.

"No!" I screamed back, even though obviously it was.

"Grounded! Bella you're absolutely, undoubtedly grounded for the rest of eternity. And as for you Jacob Black, I want you out of my house, right, now!"

"See you later, Bells," Jacob said before turning and leaving.

Charlie stared at me for a good thirty seconds before speaking, "You're not going to see him later."

"Yeah I got that out of the whole grounded part," I retorted. Before he could make another angry speech I ran up the stairs and into my room.

* * *

"Where did you two go anyway?" Angela asked. It was Monday, and we were in the cafeteria eating lunch.

"We hitch-hiked home," I replied nonchalantly as I picked at my salad with my fingers.

"What did your dad say?"

"Oh I believe his exact words were "Absolutely, undoubtedly grounded for the rest of eternity!"" I mocked in my best Charlie voice.

"That sucks," Mike jumped in. "Eternity is a long time. And we were supposed to all go see a movie Friday."

"He'll get over it. He's just mad I didn't listen to him, again."

"Well, I mean, he is right. You could've seriously been hurt."

"Thanks, Dad," I teased Mike nudging him on the shoulder. "But nothing bad happened so I don't see why he's making such a big deal out of it."

* * *

Science, oh how I loathed thee. I took my seat and put my head down on the table, ready for my usually hour-and-a-half post lunch nap. Then Edward Cullen entered the room. It had been a while since I'd seen him. It looked like he had gotten a hair cut, and maybe contacts. His eyes were like, a golden honey colored. "No one has eyes like that," I said out loud without meaning to.

"Pardon?" he said all polite and gentleman like. I shook my head. And man was he pale too. He had his head cocked towards me, as though he was actually interested in what the teacher was talking about. Something about cells. "My sister brought you your homework?" he said, startling me.

"Hmm?" I hadn't heard him clearly. His lips curled into a small smile.

"Did my sister bring you your homework?"

"You don't have to speak that slowly, I'm not illiterate."

"You're right, I apologize."

I waited a few seconds before speaking again. "Yes, your sister brought me my homework."

"Good."

"Though you live in the same house so I don't see why you wouldn't know that," I mumbled out of the side of my mouth.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." The rest of the class went by in a blur, and then it was time for gym. I groaned as I stood up from the table and made my way out the door and into the hallway. I checked my cell phone. No text from Jacob, offering to free me from my suffering. A whole hell of a lot useful he was. Not.

* * *

"Hey, Bella. How was your day?" Charlie greeted me as I walked through the front door.

"You're home early," I noted. He was sitting on the couch drinking a beer and watching a basketball game in sweatpants and a Hanes t-shirt. "Something wrong?"

"No, just decided to take the day off, needed a break."

"You mean you needed to make sure I came home from school?"

"Something like that. How was your day?"

"Fine. Nothing too exciting. I got hit in the face in dodge ball."

"That's lovely." I could tell he was too entranced in his game to give a crap that I was even there. I never did see the appeal that he did in watching guys in costumes toss orange balls through hoops, or whatever it was that they did.

"I'm gonna go do some homework," I lied. I made my way up the stairs and into my room. It had been overcast all day, and now the rain was finally beginning to fall, creating little pitter patter sounds on my windows. That sound drove me crazy. I plugged y headphones into my computer and turned the music on full blast. I opened my math book and stared at the problems we had to do for homework. I wasn't really going to _do_ them. Truthfully I didn't even really know _how_ to do them. So many Xs and Ys and unknown variables. Something about A equaling the square root of X. I slammed the book shut and rubbed my eyes.

I leaned back in my chair, almost flipping it completely over and giving a little squeal when it tipped back too far. My life as a klutz. My forehead began to hurt really badly from where I had been hit with a dodge ball. Whoever invented that sport must have been a master of cruel and unusual punishment. I shut off the music on my computer and unplugged my headphones. It was five o' clock, time to start thinking of what to make for dinner. Chicken sounded good.

I made my way down the stairs and into the living room to ask Charlie what he wanted to eat for dinner, only to find that he was sound asleep. I wrapped the blanket around him and switched the game off to the news channel.

_blah, blah, blah, traffic jam… blah, blah, blah, robbery… blah, blah, blah, murder…_

"Murder?" I said out loud. Yep, that's what it said, "murder." Jesus what was this world coming to? Murdering innocent people. Even I wouldn't stoop that low. I smiled at the thought and got up to go make myself something to eat.

I had the funniest feeling the whole time though…

The feeling that someone, or something, was watching me.

* * *

**I got a blog! Links on my profile...**


	13. Chapter 13

**Psssssssst! NEW CHAPTER TIME!**

**Sorry it took so long to update. I hope you still love me! **

**Thank yous (there's a lot)**

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**Okay, so I love you guys, but you need to understand that if I spelt your name wrong it's because it's 9:30 at night, I just typed the chapter in an hour, and your names are in such an abundance that half the time I forget one or two and I'm too lazy to go back and add you in. My eyes hurt, I'm tired, and I want you to read the chapter. Have fun!****  
**

* * *

* * *

**As much as I may pretend to (in my insane mind,) I do not own Twilight or any of the characters. They belong to Stephanie Meyer and her genious self.**

**I do own New Moon on DVD though! YAY!**

* * *

The next morning was yet another covered by a thick blanket of clouds. There was a thick sheet of fog above the ground too. I woke and moved about my room lazily. It was the type of day that makes you feel as though you're dead. You don't want to do anything, except lay in bed and sleep.

"BELLA ARE YOU UP!" Charlie obviously wouldn't let me stay home and sleep all day.

"YEAH!" I yelled back. Glancing at the clock, I realized I was already running late. I had to be at school in five minutes. Knowing that the chance of me being ready and at school in five minutes was slim to none, I prepared slowly, for some reason paying extra attention to my appearance.

"You like nice," Charlie marveled as I came running down the stairs, almost tripping halfway down.

"Gee, thanks," I smiled a goodbye as I walked out the door. Perhaps Charlie was just surprised to see me wearing blue jeans instead of black ones, and a blue shirt instead of well, a black one. I got into my truck and reversed out of the driveway.

It was almost impossible to see in the dense fog. It took me twenty minutes longer then usual to get to the high school, and by the time I got there I had entirely missed first period.

* * *

"You were late again today," was what Mike said when we sat down at lunch.

"Very observant of you," I replied before spitting my gum out onto my detention slip.

"Why?"

"God, Mike," Eric sat down and put his arm over my shoulder. "Leave the girl alone."

"Yes, Mike, leave me alone," I repeated. "I woke up late. It's not like I was smoking or something." I rolled my eyes at him. The door behind me opened letting in a breeze of cold, moist air. I shivered; I hated all things wet and cold.

"The Cullens have arrived," Mike remarked. He sarcastically pretended to bow down to them. Everyone burst out laughing. "Perfect little mutant-robot things!"

"I don't think robots can be mutants," Angela pointed out. Everyone laughed again.

"Well whatever they are," Mike began once the laughter had subsided. "They piss me the hell off. So perfect, so admired by everyone-"

"Almost everyone," Jessica gestured to us and we all nodded in agreement. Until she had spoken I hadn't realized that everyone was whispering. We were all leaning in toward the center of our round table; everyone spoke low enough so that only the people in our group heard.

"They're not that bad," I heard myself say before I could think.

"You're just saying that because that Edward kid practically does your work for you in science class," Mike smiled knowingly.

"Yeah, I guess," I leaned out of the circle and picked at my salad. Out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw Edward and his family staring at us. I shook my head, no, that couldn't be. What would people like them think was so interesting about a bunch of scum like us?

* * *

Science came and I immediately was scared out of my wits. For some reason I had a feeling that Edward knew about everything we had said about him and his family at lunch. The fact that someone knew what I thought about them usually wouldn't bother me, but for some reason this time it did.

"Hello, Bella," he greeted me with a small smile.

"Hi," I answered as I climbed up onto my stool. I put my head down, feeling the cold wood table sticking to my face. "Ugh," I sat up straight and put my jacket on the table, then put my head on top of it. "Much better," I said out loud.

"What's better?" Edward asked. I turned my head and opened my eyes to see that he had one eye brow cocked and a curious look on his face.

"The lab table is cold," I answered. He looked like he needed a better explanation so I added, "I hate things that are cold."

He laughed, seeming to find humor in my answer. I glared at him. "Sorry," he smiled. "I've just never heard someone answer a question so bluntly before. Like you're not afraid to come out and say it."

"I'm not, what does it matter? I don't care if you know that I hate things that are cold. It's not exactly something you can use against me."

"You'd be surprised," he smiled again. I felt like knocking loose a few of his perfect teeth. "For example, if I ever wanted revenge against you, I could throw you in a freezing cold lake or dump ice all over you."

"If you did that I would have to kill you."

He mumbled something that sounded a lot like, "I'd like to see you try."

"So what do you hate?"

"Hypocrites," he answered quickly.

"We're all hypocrites, whether we know it or not."

"Maybe," he seemed to ponder this for a second. "So maybe if I hate hypocrites, and I am a hypocrite, I hate myself correct? Wouldn't that make me the biggest hypocrite of all?"

"You wanna know something else I hate?" I asked him.

He shrugged, "Why not."

"I hate when people concoct huge confusing sentences that make me feel even more stupid then I normally do."

"You're not stupid. You just don't try. If you gave a tiny bit of effort, I'm sure you'd be able to pass your classes."

"And what makes you think I don't pass my classes? I managed to get this far."

"Fine, if you put in an effort you'd be able to get B's or even A's."

"I don't try and you don't socialize. That's the natural order of things. Natural selection I believe it's called. You're the way you are and I'm the way I am and that's the way it is. If everyone learned to accept that, the world would be a better place. Instead of everyone trying to beat everyone else at everything, we could all use our strengths to balance out each other's weaknesses."

"See, you do know things," he smiled again. This time it made my heart flutter a little. "I'm not overly social, because I choose not to be. You're not exceedingly talented when it comes to grades because you choose not to be."

"That's what I said," I snapped. "Don't take my words; it took me forever to form them so they actually sounded intelligent."

"And you did a heck of a job."

"I know."

* * *

**I'm reading 52 books in 52 weeks. It can be found on my blog. The links on my profile, it's the very first one. :) **

**If it said "LINE**) anywhere in the story, ignore that. There's supposed to be a line there. **


	14. Chapter 14

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**I tried to post this chapter earlier, but for some reason none of my stats were showing up. I was sort of concerned that it was me. So I waited... and now here it is.**

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"So are you coming over?" Jacob sounded impatient. He had called me the moment I had gotten home from detention. Now he sounded extremely eager to see me, a little too eager.

"No, too much homework," I sighed for added drama.

Jacob laughed, "You don't do homework." When I didn't join in with his laughter he was silent, and then said in a serious tone, "You're seriously going to do homework?"

"Yes," I snapped.

"That's…" it was silent as he searched for the word. "Weird," he finally concluded. "It's like, a sign of the apocalypse or something," he sounded frightened by my new desire to do school work.

"Well, I have a lot to catch up on," I was trying to be polite by hinting to him that I wasn't in the mood to talk.

"Oh," thankfully he took the hint. "I'll see you soon then. Maybe this weekend?" he sounded hopeful.

"Sure," I answered, knowing it would make him happy, but also highly aware of the fact that I didn't want to hang out with him this weekend.

"_If you would like to make a call, please hang up, and try again,_" I realized I had been holding the phone to my ear as I stared into space. I hung up and pulled my text books up onto my desk. I groaned as I glanced over the list of assignments I hadn't done. There were at least a dozen for each class. I decided to start with science, because that book was on the top of the pile and I didn't feel like finding a different one.

* * *

"I tried to call you last night," Jessica sat down next to me at the table, her lunch tray in her hands and her purse flung over her shoulder. She looked as though not getting in touch with me had ruined her life.

"Oh, my phone was off," I explained.

"What were you doing?" Mike asked.

"Mike!" Angela glared at him. "That's none of your business."

"It's no one's business actually," I added. "Except mine." My friends' expressions turned curious. "I was doing homework."

Eric gasped sarcastically, "Homework?"

"I had a lot to catch up on!" I cried defensively. First Jacob and now them, it wasn't like I was allergic to work. I just chose not to do it in order to prevent my stress level from getting too high.

"Did you, finish it?" Angela asked.

"No, I got like one science assignment done and then gave up." There was scattered laughter at my answer. "At least I tried!"

"If you did your homework in the first place you wouldn't have this problem," Angela reminded me for the millionth time. Everyone groaned. Angela was like our mother, she was always reminding us to do our homework and trying to get us to behave. We were her rebellious teenagers, we never listened.

"Anyway," Jess was trying to persuade the conversation so it focused around her again. "Angela and I were wondering if you wanted to go to Port Angeles with us tonight?"

"I can't I still have too much homework to catch up on." Jessica glared at me.

"Alright," she said finally. "Maybe this weekend?"

"Definitely this weekend," once again I found myself making a promise I didn't want to keep.

* * *

"Hello, Bella," Edward greeted me in the usual way as I took my seat beside him in science that day. I rustled around with my papers until I found the make up work I had completed the night before. I stood and walked to the front of the room, placed it on the teacher's desk, and walked back to my seat. "What was that?" Edward asked as I sat down.

"Make up work," I told him. "From three days ago." I had chosen the easiest looking thing on the list, and it had taken me an hour to complete it.

"The one on the different cloud formations?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Did you purposely answer all the questions wrong or-" he cut himself off as I stood and marched back to the front of the room. I grabbed my paper off the desk and sulked back to my seat.

"How do you remember the answers? How did you know it's all wrong?" I was speaking angrily to him. We hadn't gotten that paper back yet.

"Photographic memory," he shrugged.

"But how do you know you got all the answers right?"

"No need to be sassy," he looked as though he was about to laugh. "I always get all the answers right."

I collapsed back onto my stool and put my head in my hands. "I can't win," I whispered.

"Win?"

"No matter how hard I try I can't do anything right," I was extremely frustrated now, but trying not to show it.

"Maybe, if you want…" he trailed off. I looked up at him.

"Go on," I said.

"I could give you a hand," Edward smiled shyly, looking almost attractive with his golden eyes, pale skin, and shiny copper hair.

"No, you don't have to do that," I said. _But it would be absolutely awesome if you did,_ I added mentally.

"It's okay," he said.

"When?" By the way Edward was looking at me now I could easily deduct that I had failed in my attempts to keep my now overflowing enthusiasm out of my voice.

"This weekend," he replied after a slight hesitation.

"Where?" I asked, still abnormally excited.

I waited for an answer. Edward seemed to be deep in thought. "Here would be best I suppose," he finally said. "Alice has to be here anyway for some school dance meeting."

I nodded in agreement and smiled to thank him. I was speechless, and for some reason extremely anxious.

* * *

"Hey, Bells," Charlie was home by the time I got there after school. He was watching the new. The words _"murder investigation,_" were scrolling across the bottom of the screen. "How was school?"

"Good," I walked over and kissed him on the forehead. I had managed to hide my enthusiasm from my friends, but now it was literally spilling out of me. Charlie seemed surprised by my actions and attitude.

"Why was it so good?" he seemed suspicious, as though expecting I had done something wrong. Then again, I would have expected that of me too.

"Nothing," I smiled again. "Do you mind if a hang out with a friend this weekend?"

"I don't know," he cocked an eyebrow. "Aren't you still grounded?"

I shrugged, "I don't remember." Though, truthfully, I did remember. I was grounded for life.

"What are you going to do?"

"Study."

"Bella, don't lie to me," Charlie sounded angry.

"Dad," I was shocked he didn't believe. I had to remind myself of the times I had lied to him, then I wasn't so shocked anymore.

"You're seriously studying?" he asked after a few minutes.

"Yes, we're going to the high school. You can come if you want," I knew that by telling him he could come that he would believe me.

"No, I trust you," he said. I kissed him on the forehead again and climbed the stairs to my room.

* * *

**Sorry it was sort of short, but I kind of wanted to write and so I did. **

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	15. Chapter 15

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* * *

Saturday couldn't come fast enough. I was oddly enthused about my upcoming afternoon with Edward. I couldn't understand the way I was feeling, it didn't make sense to me. I didn't even _like_ this pompous smart ass with copper hair and eyes like pools of melted gold. I shook my head and turned over in bed. The clock said 2:00; it was two in the morning.

I had gone to bed at eleven and hadn't slept at all. I had just laid there with my eyes wide open. Every time I closed my eyes I saw Edward, and immediately my body responded by making my stomach flutter with the sensation of a million butterflies being trapped inside it.

Finally, around five, I managed to fall asleep.

* * *

The phone ringing woke me up seven hours later. "Yeah?" I moaned as I placed the phone to my ear.

"Hey, Bella," it was Jacob. I sighed and sat up in bed. I only had a half hour until I was supposed to be meeting Edward. I needed to get rid of Jacob quickly so I could get ready.

"Oh, hi Jake," I replied trying to sound tired and sickly. "What's up?"

"You said you'd come over today, I was just wondering when you were gonna get here?"

"Shit," I mumbled under my breath. I had completely forgotten I had promised Jake I would go see him. "Jake," I faked a cough. "I'm really sorry and I know I should have called you, but I just don't feel up to hanging out today. I think I have a cold." I coughed again for added affect.

"Oh, well," Jacob sounded thoroughly disappointed. I could see his face in my mind, his eyebrows crinkled in frustration and concern. It had been a long time since we had seen each other, and I knew he was looking forward to it. I felt like I was ruining a kid's birthday party or something. "I hope you feel better," he sounded as though he wanted me to die.

"I'm really sorry, Jake," I said again before hanging up the phone and bounding out of bed. I was wide awake, and I only had twenty three minutes now before I was going to see Edward. I quickly through on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. It was raining and chilly outside, so I hastily through a hoodie on over my t-shirt and walked out the door.

* * *

The drive to the school was torture. Not only was I five minutes late, but it seemed as though the closer I get to my destination, the more my stomach seemed to ache. I couldn't tell if it was from hunger or nervousness, but my guess was that it was the latter.

"Hello, Bella," Edward held the door open for me and waved me through. I smiled gratefully at him and walked into the school. It was weird being in the school on the weekend. It wasn't dark or creepy; it was actually quite the contrary, warm and bright. There were murmurs coming from the auditorium, where I assumed the school dance committee was meeting.

"Sorry I'm late," I said as he led me to the cafeteria. "I over slept." I wished he would stop staring at me; it was making me feel extremely uncomfortable. My mind flashed to that movie I had seen a while ago with Jake, "_Prom Night_." I shuddered but tried to get over it. That wasn't going to happen.

"So," Edward spoke finally as he took a seat across from me at a large round table. "What do you want to get started on?"

I shrugged, "Science is as good a place as any, I guess."

"You're not looking forward to this are you?" Edward cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow.

"Not in the slightest," I replied. "But if I get held back Charlie will kill me."

Edward nodded in understanding and watched as I pulled out the inch high pile of science assignments I hadn't completed. "This might take longer then I had assumed," he looked concerned, and a little humored by my lack of work ethic.

* * *

"I think that's enough for today," Edward said once we had worked our way through my Science, History, and English homework. "You only have math left, if you want I can give you a hand at lunch on Wednesday."

"Wednesday?" I was trying not to sound too nosey, but couldn't help myself.

"My parents are taking my family and me camping for a few days. I won't be back until Wednesday."

"You're going camping in the rain?" I laughed a little.

"It's not going to rain."

"That is extremely contradictory to the weather report I heard last night," I pointed out.

"The weather people are often wrong." He smiled and before I could refute him he said, "So, I'll see you at lunch on Wednesday, Bella." He stood and left me sitting there alone.

I made my way out of the cafeteria and through the hallway, checking the time on my phone as I did and realizing that I had a missed call and a voice mail.

"Bella, where the hell are you?" Jacob's voice filled my ear as I listened to the message he had left me over three hours ago. "I came to your house to see if you were okay, and Charlie tells me your not there! You have a lot of explaining to do! I was worried sick about you and then I find out your out with some other guy! I can't believe you-" his message was too long and was cut off. I sighed and climbed into my car, dialing Jake's number as I did.

"What do you want?" Jacob growled as he answered the phone.

"I'm sorry," I squeaked. "I just didn't want you to think I was ditching you-"

"WELL THAT'S WHAT YOU DID ISN'T IT?" he screamed so loud that I had to hold the phone away from my ear. "I WOULD HAVE RATHER YOU TOLD ME YOU WERE WITH ANOTHER GUY THEN LIED TO ME!"

"Well, I'm sorry for considering your feelings," I could feel hatred boiling up inside of me. It had been such a good day but now I wanted to punch a wall (or maybe Jacob.) "But you are NOT my father or my older brother. You're not my BOYFRIEND, and right now, YOU'RE NOT MY FRIEND EITHER!" I slammed my phone shut and shoved it into the glove compartment, feeling like a ten year old who had just had a temper tantrum. Who was he to tell me what to do?

I was fuming as I made my way home. Charlie was watching a baseball game when I walked in the door. "How was your study session?"

"Fine," I snapped before starting to climb the stairs.

"Jacob came by."

"I know, he called me."

"Alright," Charlie was oblivious as always. I preferred it that way though, I definitely wasn't about to tell him about my every thought and feeling. We both kept to ourselves and that was how we managed to keep from fighting too much.

* * *

That night was yet another sleepless one. This time it was not because of my eagerness for the next day though. It was because I felt horrible. Horrible for what I had said and done to Jacob, and horrible because there was no way I could take it back or make up for it.

Still though, I had spent a marvelous day with Edward. There really was no way to describe how I felt after being with him for five hours. I was looking extremely forward to Wednesday, when I would be able to see him again. Edward made me feel something I had never felt before, and I couldn't put it into words.

Jacob's jealousy had worn me out. It wasn't up to him who I decided to spend time with. I mentally cursed him off; he was so controlling and demanding. He was the person who had turned me away from homework and towards ditching school. He said that talking back to Charlie would get me what I wanted. I was done. Done with Jacob and done with being the person that he had turned me into.

* * *

**Lots of Bella/Edward stuff to come. I had to get rid of Jacob first. Lol.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Stephenie Meyer owns all characters and blah blah blah. **

**I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long. I hope you can forgive me. My Nana is in the hospital and my brother's playing travel baseball so my life is pretty hectic right now. **

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* * *

**

"Bella?" Angela's voice sounded worried as she spoke my name. "Bella!" I blinked and looked up at her, raising my eyebrows in question. "I've asked you about six times how your weekend was," she didn't sound angry, she sounded like a concerned mother.

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about some things," I smiled at her apologetically.

"So how was your weekend?" she asked again.

"Alright, I managed to get mostly caught up with all my assignments."

"Took you long enough," Mike pulled out a chair next to me and sat down, scraping the bottom of the chair along the scratched linoleum floor. "How are your grades this semester, Bella?"

"No worse then yours I'm sure," I smiled at him sarcastically. Mike shrugged in agreement and took a huge bite out of his sandwich.

"How'd you get it all done in one weekend?" Mike seemed genuinely curious. "It would've taken me months to finish."

"Not if you applied yourself," I commented before answering, "I had some help."

"From who?"

I had to pause for a moment. I didn't know whether to lie or be truthful. I didn't have an inkling as to how my friends would react to the notion of me spending my weekend with Edward Cullen. Mike and Eric would probably laugh, while Jessica would want an in-depth analysis of the entire day, complete with facial expressions and body language. I decided that it would be best to keep this to myself, (and Edward,) for now. "Why does that matter?" I snapped at Mike.

"Oh, I see," he leaned toward me and lowered his voice to a whisper. "You paid someone, right?"

"Wrong!" I didn't mean to sound so abashed by what he had said. "Sorry," I added more calmly. "With what money would I pay someone? Honestly, you know I don't have a job, or a steady income of any kind."

"Right," Eric chimed in. "So who did you rob to pay this person?" Everyone began laughing. I looked behind me at the Cullen's typical table, only to find it empty. I was searching for safety, for someone to make me feel less vulnerable. I have no idea why my first reaction was to look there.

"Why do you automatically assume that I would do something like that?" I knew that I sounded angry, but I did nothing to try to take the tone out of my voice.

"It's not like you haven't done it before, Bella," Angela said in her soft, calm voice, for from accusatory, but matter-of-factly.

"What's gotten into you?" Jessica finally chimed in with the conversation. It was unusual for her to stay quiet for this long.

"What do you mean?" I snapped.

"You're not acting like yourself," Angela noted.

"It's like you're a new person," Mike added.

"We've never seen you like this before," Eric smiled a knowing smile. "You're playing with us aren't you, Bella? This is all a joke right?"

"No! I don't know what you're talking about!" I honestly had no clue what Eric meant. I stood, picking my tray up (with my uneaten lunch still on it,) and throwing it in the garbage can. As I walked through the wide oak doors the last thing I heard was a sarcastic yell from Eric:

"Where are you going, Bella? Can't be late for class I guess!"

Followed by hysterical laughter from everyone else.

* * *

"How was your day, Bells?" Charlie asked as he walked into the kitchen.

"Fine," I answered automatically. "How was your day?"

"Fine," he replied, taking his usual seat at the kitchen table. I placed the chicken and rice down in front of him and turned to leave. "Not hungry?" Charlie asked.

"No," I answered. "And if I get hungry I'll just reheat some leftovers later." That seemed to be good enough for Charlie. I waited a few seconds to make sure he didn't have any more follow up questions, and then I retreated up to my room.

Homework was as detesting as usual. I tossed it into my backpack and collapsed onto my bed and rolled over.

* * *

I didn't want to admit, even to myself, how much influence Edward was beginning to have over my life. I dreamt about him again that night. Have you ever heard the saying "The simplest dreams are the sweetest ones"? (or I might be making that up,) but it's true.

My simple dream of Edward and me sitting together in a gorgeous field of flowers and grass, was sweeter then my dreams of my mother, which surprised me.

Maybe that was because Edward was real, and my mother was not. Alright, so my mother was real, but she was no longer a fixture in my life. Then again, everything paled in comparison to Edward. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, and copper wind blown hair, he was like an angel on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, one of Michelangelo's works of art.

* * *

I performed the routine of my day in almost a robotic stupor. I only occasionally added my two-cents into conversation and added in a few laughs and "Uh-huhs" where appropriate. I was secretly hoping Edward would show up. My hopes were not too high though, for he had been right, today as well as yesterday were both beautifully sunny days.

When I finally got home I tossed my backpack to the side and grabbed the old quilt from the closet. The ground was dry enough now for me to sit out on the blanket without getting completely soaked. Forks would never be dry; we could go through an entire year of sunny, rainless weather, and never run out of water. I was almost positive that there was a giant underground lake some below the soils of the Olympic Peninsula.

I stayed out on the grass staring at the street until the sun started to disappear behind oncoming clouds. It was clear that the sunny weather was on it's way out. I realized at that point that Charlie would be home soon, and as usual he would be hungry. I folded up the damp, grass covered quilt and marched my way into the house.

* * *

"Bella," Angela whispered into my ear that day at lunch. Was it already lunch? The day had flown by in a blur. Then again, I was anticipating something, and someone. "Why is Edward Cullen looking at you like that?"

"Oh my God," Jessica breathed from my other side. "I think he wants to talk to you."

Unfortunately Jessica was not as discreet as Angela was and Eric and Mike, who were in the midst of a conversation about football, stopped mid-argument to stare at me open mouthed.

"What does he want?" Mike sneered, glancing over his shoulder at Edward.

"I guess I'll go find out," I stood, trying to hide my smile of excitement. I crossed the cafeteria and sat across from him.

"Hello, Bella. Did you miss me?" Edward smiled his crooked smile that I loved, and it took me a moment to respond.

"Hello, Edward," my voice sounded shaky, even to me. I swallowed and then added extra sarcasm to my voice when I replied, "My world was a dark and empty place without you."

Edward smiled at some inside joke, "I'm sure it was," he said earnestly, though disbelievingly.

"Absolutely," I replied with even more sarcasm. Little did he know it was entirely too true.

"Ready to begin?"

"Yep," I pulled out my book and plopped it open on the table. It took us only a few minutes to finish everything. "Well," I stood. "I guess I'll see you later."

"Hold on a moment," he grabbed my hand and released it almost automatically. "Why don't you stay with me? You wouldn't want to leave me here all alone would you?" Edward made pouting eyes at me and I felt myself succumb to his powers. "You interest me," he admitted, looking ashamed. "I'm not sure why."

"You're pretty interesting yourself," I offered, not wanting to give up too much.

"No I'm not," he became defensive.

"Yes you are, there's something about you I can't figure out."

"Any chance that you'll stop trying?"

"No, I'm way too stubborn."

"Yes, I guessed that," he became very sullen. "Well, I suppose we should go now. If you would like to walk with me that is?"

I could tell he was hoping I would say no. "I would like that," I stood and walked beside him, feeling the eyes of one hundred people on me. For the first time in a long time I felt confident, not because of the attention, but because of the person next to me.

* * *

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	17. Chapter 17

**See! I kept to my promise this time! A new chapter! Yay!**

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* * *

Could it be that I was sitting across from Edward Cullen in the lunchroom again? It couldn't be that my life had become this wonderful over night. Apparently Edward found me interesting, intriguing even. I could hardly contain myself at this piece of information. I was never this fortunate.

"Tell me about your mother," Edward said out of the blue. I looked at him; his head was cocked to the side, waiting for my answer.

"She died when I was young, I don't remember much about her," I had no desire to talk to anyone about my mother. She was my weak spot, the one thing that could make me vulnerable.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"It's all right. What about your parents?"

"My parents died when I was younger too. I can't remember them either."

"I meant Carlisle and Esme," I clarified.

"They are both amazing people," Edward said after a few moments of apparently deep thought.

"They must be, to adopt children only about ten years younger then themselves."

"Yes," Edward smiled and laughed briefly.

"What about your siblings?" I looked behind me at the Cullen's table and immediately turned back.

"Ignore Rosalie," Edward said quickly. "She doesn't understand why I find you so interesting. Then again, none of my siblings do, they're just less boisterous about their dislike of this situation."

"Why don't they like me? They don't even know me!" I turned back to stare into Rosalie's cold eyes. I was sizing her up, and trying to figure out my chances of kicking her ass. Slim to none.

"I think your friends want you back," Edward noted, cocking his head in the direction of my friends' lunch table. Jessica was waving me over, smiling brightly. "I'll see you in science," Edward added as I stood.

I nodded at him and made my way reluctantly back to my usual seat. "Bella, we are going to Port Angeles tonight," Jessica said in a voice that was almost demanding.

"I don't know Jess, I'm not really in the mood," I whined.

"Bella, we haven't gone anywhere in months! You are going."

"I might still be grounded…" I trailed off, though I was almost positive that my punishment had been revoked.

"Bella," Jessica stood, pulling Angela and me with her as we exited the cafeteria. "Don't make me call Chief Swan." I cringed at the thought. Jessica was definitely not the type of person Charlie would enjoy speaking to. She was much too hyper and talkative. "Now spare me the trouble and come with us, alright?"

I looked at Angela, pleading to her with my eyes to get me out of this. "You should come, Bella," Angela said, but she shrugged apologetically once Jessica had turned her back.

"Fine," I said, and then I made my way down the hallway towards science.

* * *

"Bella! Come on!" Jess was yelling across the parking lot as I excited the office. I had called Charlie to make sure it was okay with him that I went to Port Angeles. He had said yes, much to my dismay. I walked through the drizzle to Jess.

"I'm gonna take my truck home, you'll meet me at my house?" I asked, finally excepting the fact that I would be going.

"Sure, sure," Jess was speaking fast, obviously eager for our girl's night.

"I'll go with Bella," Angela said. "If that's okay with both of you?" Angela was, as usual, trying to please everyone.

"Yeah, whatever," Jessica was getting snippy now. I waved for Angela to follow me to my truck, and climbed in.

"Sorry about the noise," I yelled to Angela once the truck was on and roaring. She just nodded in reply and stared out the window. "I'm surprised you actually volunteered to ride in this monster," I laughed.

"I needed to get away from Jess," Angela laughed along with me. "She can't seem to get over the fact that you and Edward Cullen are friends. She has quite a few theories about it."

"She thinks we're dating secretly right?"

"Jessica's that predictable, isn't she?" Angela laughed again.

* * *

It was almost sunny in Port Angeles. Almost. The clouds were thin and nearly translucent under the bright sun. They still covered the sun though, keeping it chilly in the tourist trap of a town.

"Alright so, clothes shopping and then dinner?" Jessica asked, making sure the plan was okay with us. Angela and I both nodded, knowing that even if we had rejected Jessica's itinerary, we would be forced to go along with it anyway.

We followed Jess from store to store, I window shopped and critiqued, giving constructive opinions about the things that my friends picked out. They both knew that I detested shopping, but it wasn't as though I had anything better to do.

"Bella," Angela said after a little while. "You're not having fun."

"It's fine, Ang," I stood from the uncomfortable plastic chair and stretched. "I think I'm just going to go for a walk on the boardwalk, and I'll meet you at McDonalds on 52nd street, okay?"

"Are you sure you don't want us to come with you?"

"It's fine," I picked up my purse and waved before stepping out of the department store.

The Port Angeles boardwalk was virtually empty of people, other then a few people going in the opposite direction. I was exactly looking for anything in particular; I wasn't even paying attention to where I was going. I hated admitting, even to myself, that I was too busy thinking about Edward to notice where I was going. That is, until I got to the dark part of town.

I was off the boardwalk now, and there were no lights or people or stores. "Hey there!" I didn't turn around, though the voice was obviously directed towards me. I walked a little faster, not looking over my shoulder and clutching my purse close to me. The footsteps behind me picked up a little bit, and soon I could feel someone breathing down my neck.

I stopped, realizing that I couldn't outrun this person. I spun around, bracing myself and trying to remember what Jacob had taught me about taking down an enemy. _Smash their nose into their brain, and then kick 'em in the sweet spot, _Jacob's voice floated through my brain, like he was standing right there in front of me. _Just don't get into trouble in the first place actually; you'd probably break your hand smashing up the person's face._ We had both laughed at the joke, now it just made me angry. Jacob made me feel so petty and weak. I hadn't realized it until now.

"Hey, are you lost?" the voice was sadistic and menacing. "I could help you get home."

"No thanks," I could hear the hysterics in my voice.

"Bella," Edward's voice was as familiar to me as my own. "Get in the car." He was staring down the shadow, now only a few feet away from me. I obeyed, for once in my life not questioning the demands being given to me. Edward was one person that I did not want to rebel against.

It took Edward a moment to join me in the car. "Why would you just stand there like that?" He asked once we were back on a main road. "Were you just going to let him…? You're unbelievable," he said, and I could tell he didn't mean it as a compliment.

"Sorry," I said, unsure of what else I could say.

"Sorry?" Edward shook his head.

"And what is it that you're doing here?" I cocked an eyebrow at him. "Hmm?" I added for emphasis after a few minutes without an answer.

"That's a long story," he said.

"While I'm hungry, so you can take me to eat and tell me everything," I said. Edward looked at me for a moment, raising his eyebrows. "If that's alright with you, of course."

"Sure," he pulled into the McDonalds' parking lot just as Jess and Angela were getting into Jessica's car.

"Bella!" Angela came running towards us, Jess behind her. "Where have you been?"

"We sort of ate without you," Jessica didn't look too ashamed.

"That's alright," Edward said in his smooth, alluring voice. "I'll stay with Bella and make sure she gets home safely."

"Alright," Angela said, and then she pulled Jessica back across the parking lot.

"Shall we?" Edward waved towards the Golden Arches and we started towards the restaurant.

* * *

**Now this is where I would normally ask for reviews, and I am :) But also, any books that you guys like or any stories on here you want me to read, please let me know. It's 100 degrees here and my fair skin and I are staying well hidden from the sun. Thanks! **

**Shall we go for Sunday as our next update?**


	18. Chapter 18

**All belongs to Stephenie Meyer**

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"So," I began as I slid into a booth in the very corner of the fast food place. Edward slid in across from me. As usual he had no food, and I felt awkward with my Big Mac, large fries, and chocolate milkshake. I didn't like people watching me while I ate.

"You should eat," Edward said and he pushed my food towards me. "I'm surprised you haven't collapsed on the ground by now," he admitted, a small smile appearing on his face.

"Nah, it's no big deal," I sighed and unwrapped my burger anyway. I was hungry, but not because of what had just happened, but because I hadn't eat in eight hours, and I had hardly eaten anything at lunch. "And nothing bad was going to happen anyway. I can take care of myself."

"You can't walk across a flat surface without hurting yourself, I doubt you would be able to fight someone without hurting yourself."

I was going to bring up how Jacob taught me to fight, but I thought better of it. I didn't need Jacob anymore, and I had to remember that.

"Bad things happen, and if you had any idea of what that person was thinking, you wouldn't be so nonchalant about the whole situation," Edward sounded angry.

"And how do you know what he was thinking?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. "You know, there's something strange about you… I can't put my finger on it."

"I would rather you not try to figure it out," he warned, a hint of anger in his voice still.

"Well, too bad. I'm stubborn. You could just tell me. Since, your obviously not denying the fact that there's something strange about you."

Edward stared at me for a moment, apparently deep in thought. Finally he spoke, "I think I'll risk you figuring it out on your own."

"But, I still have questions," I said in between bites of my hamburger.

"Go on," Edward invited.

"You never answered my first question," I pointed out.

"Call it intuition," he said. "Next question."

"No, not until you tell the truth."

"Fine," Edward seemed to be pondering how he could answer my question without giving too much away. "Some people have special abilities, more sensitive then those of other people. I can tell what people are thinking."

"So you can read minds?" I tried to clarify.

"I didn't say that."

"You also didn't deny it."

"Fine, so hypothetically speaking, we'll say that I can read minds. Which, by the way is absolutely ridiculous."

"Are there any exceptions to this?"

"Only one," Edward sounded bitter.

"So, how does the person find the person whose mind they can't read," I raised both my eyebrows, hoping that I had confused him, because that would have been funny.

"By reading other people's minds."

"Is that how you found me?"

"I thought we were speaking hypothetically."

"We were, and now we're not," I smiled shyly.

"Isabella Swan, sometimes you are extremely difficult," he smiled after he said this though, so I knew he was kidding. "Are you done?" he asked, looking pointedly at my empty tray.

"Yep," I stood and left my tray on top of the garbage can. Edward held the door open for me and I followed him through the parking lot back to his silver Volvo, which seemed to be illuminated in the night. "Your car is very clean," I said as I climbed inside.

"Thank you," Edward smiled and shut the door behind me.

* * *

When Edward woke me up we were at my house. Only about forty minutes had passed since we left the restaurant, and the math didn't make sense to me. We must have been going over one hundred miles per hour. "Jesus, you drive fast," I said. "And how did you know where I live?"

"In a town the size of Forks it's hard not to know where everyone lives."

"Sure," I taunted. I climbed out of the car and made my way up to the front door.

"Bye, Bella," I heard Edward say in almost a whisper. I turned and waved to him, but he was already around the corner and out of sight. I shook my head and stepped through the front door.

"Hey, Dad," I yelled.

"Hey, Bella. How was your trip?"

"Great," I smiled. How could my night not have been great? It was spent with Edward. But, Charlie didn't know that, and he wasn't going to find out either. Now thought, I had a big problem. I needed to know more about Edward. The mystery was tearing me apart. I knew it was none of my business, but it wasn't as though that knowledge had stopped me before.

I climbed up to my room, making up my mind. Jake had said something about the Cullens, and I couldn't remember what. I would have to reconcile with him, at least for a few hours, in order to gather the information I desired. I rubbed my hands together and laughed maniacally.

"Bella, are you alright?" I had forgotten Charlie was standing right there.

"Yep," I answered, and then I uncharacteristically skipped up the steps, stumbling only when I reached the very top.

* * *

**Sorry, I know this isn't exactly a long chapter. But, I'm gonna be really busy today and I wanted to get something up for you guys because you're amazing. I'm spending my day with my Nana, who's still in the hospital, and then going to my brother's game and finally I'm going to see Eclipse with my best friend. Can you believe I haven't seen it yet? I also plan on watching the soccer final. I'm so busy. **

**And I also appologize for such a long author's note. :) **

**Anyway, thanks for reading and please review! (I'm only two away from 50)**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hi! Sorry for the delay in updates… This chapter is extra long though!**

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"Jake!" I ran and hugged Jacob, who seemed surprised to see me.

"Bella, what brings you to this part of the reservation?" he asked, shock apparent in his voice.

"Well, actually, I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes, I will be your best friend again."

"Well, great, but I wanted to ask you something else."

"Oh."

"You said something to me about the Cullens one day, I can't remember what."

"If that's what this is about then go home," Jacob growled.

"Please, Jake!" I whined. "I'm so sorry about everything. I didn't mean it. I promise. I was just angry and I spoke out of that anger. I didn't mean to hurt you." I put my hand on his arm and looked up at him, trying to look genuinely apologetic. Had he grown again?

"The Cullens have a reputation on the reservation for being dangerous. That's why they don't come here. They're not aloud. They signed a treaty with the elders. The elders didn't want the Cullens hunting on their land. The Cullens said they were different, so the elders didn't report them to the people outside the reservation. It's a load of bull if you ask me."

"But why don't they want the Cullens here?"

"They think the Cullens are vampires. Like I said, it's a load of bull."

"Thanks Jacob!" I hugged him and ran back toward my car. I now had a lead. Whether it was right, I had no idea. It was a lead though, nonetheless, and I was determined to see it through and discover if the legends were fact.

* * *

I couldn't sleep, that was apparent to me after five minutes of laying there in the dark. I tip-toed through the hallway and placed my ear against Charlie's door, making sure he was sound asleep. I heard his snoring and decided it would be safe to head down to the living room.

I flipped on the TV and searched through the channels. A few late night shows, and mostly infomercials. I sighed, flipping off the TV and tossing the remote onto the couch next to me. I stood and quietly made my way up the stairs.

In my room, I dug through the drawers on my nightstand, trying to be quiet with little luck. There was way too much crap in my nightstand. One more hair tie and it would explode. I pulled the entire drawer out and dumped it all over the floor. The matted leather book caught my eye. I hadn't done much more then flipped through the pages once, but now seemed like a good a time as any to investigate what was written within it.

I flipped through the pages, dust flying everywhere, before finally stopping on a random page. _CHAPTER 10: VAMPIRES-MYTHS AND FACTS._ This didn't seem too promising, I was not one to believe in any of this supernatural stuff. It didn't seem at all possible to me. I turned the pages, skimming over the words but not really dissolving them. Finally I came to a heading that read "_Could They Be Among Us_?" I snorted, how absurd that sounded.

This whole book was lunacy, a complete waste of time, not to mention trees. My interest was peaked though. I found my self with the desire to read on and see what the author had to say.I wanted to see if any of the traits fit Edward. Doubting that they would, but interested all the same.

"_While many myths are well known about vampires, the truth remains hidden. Through deep observation and research, I have uncovered new details about the secret lives of vampires. _

"_I have been told to beware of persons of extreme beauty, more so then the most beautiful person in the world. I have also been told of extreme reflexes and strength, as well as amazing eye sight and hearing. Another fact, they are ice cold. None of these are facts have ever been brought into the public eye, I have taken it upon myself to relay this information to you. _

"_Beware of their eyes, bright red, becoming darker as they become thirstier. If you encounter a vampire, there is no escape. May your death be quick, and may you rest in piece._"

I shivered, the section ended there. I closed the book and looked at the cover. "_Myths That are True: By Arnold B. Christianson_." I jumped off my bed and walked to my computer, turning it on and waiting impatiently for it to boot up. I double clicked the internet icon and waited again, watching the bar on the bottom fill up at a snail-like pace until finally the page loaded.

I typed in the website to my favorite search engine, waited yet again for the page to load, and finally typed in the authors name. A link popped up to Wikipedia, and I gladly clicked on it. I scrolled down to the bottom of the page to the section labeled "DEATH," the paragraph under it read:

"_Many speculations surround the death of Arnold Christianson. He was found one morning, only a week after release of his book, "Myths That Are True," dead in his apartment. He was drained of blood with slashes in his wrist and punctures in his neck, a supposed suicide. Many followers of Christianson believe that the punctures in his neck were result of a vampire attack. Vampires were studied closely by Christianson for many years before the release of his famous book "Myths That Are True" in 1990._"

I felt goose bumps on my arms, but there was no way that the story could be true. I began to think of Edward, which wasn't a rare occurrence anymore. He was cold, and inhumanly beautiful. His eyes were gold, but seemed to get darker and darker. His siblings were all the same way. Edward could read minds, did that have anything to do with being a vampire? I shook my head. Why was I thinking like this? I was being stupid. I shutdown the computer and crawled into bed.

No matter how hard I tried I couldn't shake the thought of Edward being a vampire. It didn't make sense, yet at the same time it made perfect sense. I didn't know if that was possible, it seemed like an oxymoron to me. My mind was racing, thinking in run-on sentences. So many thoughts, and so little time. In a few minutes the alarm would go off and I would have to face another rainy Forks day.

What would I say to Edward? Should I say anything at all? There were so many things that I wanted to ask him. What if he was a vampire? What would I do? What if he wanted to eat me? What if he did eat me?

I dressed in a trance, not noticing I put my shirt on backwards until I was out the door. I went back inside and turned my shirt the right way, when I walked back out I recognized Edward's silver Volvo in my driveway. I gulped. The only thought I had was that if I had put my shirt on right in the first place, this wouldn't be happening.

"Good morning, Bella," Edward smiled at me and opened the passenger door. "Would you like a ride to school?"

I nodded, walked down the driveway, and climbed into the car. "Good morning," I said once he had stepped into the car. "I have a question," I began before I could think about it. I was silent, hoping he hadn't heard me.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Never mind," I answered.

"Bella, you brought it up. Now please, ask me your question."

"No."

"You're acting like an insufferable child, Isabella."

"I am not."

"Why won't you ask me?"

"You'll be angry with me," I slouched down in the seat. I looked out the window, we were already at the school. Could that be a sign of Edward's vampirism?

"I promise I will not be angry with you."

"I think I figured out what you are," I said.

"Ah, that's not a question," Edward noted, not looking at me as he spoke.

"Well, I was going to form it into a question."

"Proceed then," Edward urged.

"Are you a vampire?" I whispered the last word so quietly I couldn't even here myself. As soon as I said it I realized how stupid it sounded. Edward snapped his head quickly in my direction. I froze.

"What gives you that idea?" he said too quickly.

"Is it true?" I just barely managed to squeak out my question. I was cowering in fear. Edward looked positively murderous.

Edward sighed, then after a long pause answered, "Yes."

"Oh my God!" I whispered. I knew I should be running away, screaming for my life. At the same time, I wanted nothing more then to sit here with Edward and find out everything, once and for all.

"You can't tell anyone," he said suddenly. "You have to promise me Isabella Swan."

"I promise," I whispered. "I swear on my life."

Edward smiled, "Hopefully it won't come to that."

**

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**So how about some reviews? New chapter Friday, probably. It depends on if we go to the Race Track or not, I'm hoping we do. I have to remember to make ice. It's thundering so I have to finish this before my computer turns off. REVIEW! **


	20. Chapter 20

**Hello all, and I want to apologize for not posting when I said I would. We went to the beach for the weekend, and I got a lot of reading done. The summer is finally becoming relaxing. Too bad school starts up in five weeks. Ugh… **_**think happy thoughts.**_

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"Tell me about it." I said, my voice at a higher level than normally.

"What do you specifically want to know?" Edward asked.

"Hmm…" I sat and drummed my thumbs on the dashboard. I had no idea where to begin. There were so many things racing through my mind. "Um, what happens when you go into the sunlight?"

"I sparkle, next question," he waved his hand in a way that said he was done with that topic.

"Do you have any other special powers?"

"I'm not a superhero, Bella," he laughed in an almost pissed-off way. "I can run fast, and I'm strong, not as strong as Emmett though."

"And what about your other siblings, and your parents?"

"Alice can predict the future, selectively, since the future is always changing. Jasper can control emotions."

"How does Carlisle manage to work at the hospital when-"

"Carlisle has a lot of practice," Edward seemed to be anticipating something. "Aren't you curious about our diets?"

"Oh, um, yeah. What do you eat?"

"We feed on the blood of animals."

"See, I knew you weren't that bad," I smiled at him jokingly.

"It's not funny, Bella," his voice was full of warning. "Just because my family doesn't regularly feed on humans, it doesn't mean one of us won't slip."

"And then I would be like you?"

"And then you'll be dead." Edward looked out the window, and I followed his gaze, the parking lot was full and students were hustling into the school. For a moment I had almost forgotten that anyone else existed. For a moment I almost wished that it the only two people in the world were Edward and me. Edward was holding my door open, waiting patiently for me to step out of the car. I climbed out and followed him up the sidewalk, trying to keep up with his long strides but slowly falling behind.

* * *

When Edward dropped me off Charlie's car was in the driveway and Jacob's familiar smiling face was staring expectantly out the window at me. "I'll see you tomorrow, Bella," Edward said as I got out of the car.

"Will you pick me up in the morning?"

"If you want me to."

"I do."

"Fine," he said and then he pulled the door closed and backed out of the driveway. I tried to put on a fake smile as I walked up the front steps and into the house.

"BELLA!" Jacob grabbed me and pulled me into a big bear hug.

"Hi Jake," I snarled through my teeth, trying my hardest to restrain myself from kicking him in the spot where it hurts. "Put me down," I ordered. He dropped me and I fell to the floor. I sat there on my butt for a few seconds before willing myself to stand back up.

"Bella, are you home?"

"Yes Dad," called back to Charlie, whose voice had come from the kitchen. I made my way in that direction, knowing that I had to be polite but also dreading every step more and more. "Hi, Billy," I faked a smile again; my cheeks were begin to ache from all my fake joy.

"Hi, Bella," Billy's smile was big and sincere. "How was your day?"

"It was alright. How've you been?"

"Just fine, just fine. Say, since when do you where colors other then gray and black?"

"Oh, just a change in my mood I guess."

"Hope it doesn't keep you away from Jacob too much. He was a wreck before the other day."

I could sense Jake's tension behind me, but I laughed a little. "No, I don't think it'll affect our friendship," I wanted to change the subject fast. "So, do you guys want anything to eat?"

"No, we're on our way out," Billy rolled through the kitchen. Jacob, Charlie, and I followed.

"Thanks anyway," Jacob said as he lifted Billy down our steps. "See you around."

"Absolutely," I agreed, promising myself that I would _not _be seeing Jacob around.

* * *

I was sitting in the parking lot with Edward again. He was looking out the window, purposely keeping his eyes off of me. I could tell he was avoiding more questions.

"How did you figure it out?" he asked suddenly, snapping his head to face me.

"I read a book," it was only half of a lie. If Jacob hadn't told me about the legends I would have had nothing to go by.

"What book?" Edward seemed surprised, as though this was the last answer he had expected.

"Um, I honestly can't remember. It was by some guy by the name of Christianson or something like that."

"Arnold Christianson?" Edward's eyebrows went upward, I wasn't sure if he was mocking me or simply surprised.

"Yeah, you heard of him?"

"He was murdered by a group of vampires for revealing our secrets."

"You mean it's true?" I whispered.

"Yes. Are you scared of us yet?"

"Not of you, of the others maybe."

"I wish you would take me more seriously."

I laughed.

"It's not funny."

"I'm sorry," I held up my hands defensively. "It's just that none of this seems real. You read about this stuff in books and you see it in movies or on TV. No one ever thinks that this could happen to them, and now everything is just being plopped down on me." I realized I was ranting on and looked up at Edward.

"It's a lot to take in, isn't it?"

I nodded.

"I understand if you don't want to further our relationship."

"You wish I didn't want to, right?"

"I want you to be safe, and being around me isn't exactly going to make that happen. It would be best if you could just go on and live your life, marry Mike or Eric and have a big family."

"Yuck, _kids_," I shivered at the thought.

"At the same time," Edward went on, ignoring my small outburst. "I don't think I have enough strength or will power to keep myself away from you."

"So, we'll both have to suffer," I smiled.

"I suppose so. But you could always change your mind."

"Or you could," I tried not to sound too disappointed by the thought of this. I didn't think I could live if Edward said he didn't want me.

"That won't happen," Edward promised.

* * *

"Hello?" I answered my phone. It was four in the morning on a Saturday and there was only one person who would be calling me at this time.

"Bella!" Jacob sounded ten times more awake then I was.

"Jacob, it is four o' clock in the morning. What the hell do you want?"

"No need to be so snippy. My dad wanted me to call you."

"At four in the morning?" my voice rose higher as I spoke.

"Well, no, but I just remembered that he told me to so I decided to do it now before I forgot again-"

"Fine!" I cut him off. "What?"

"Are you and Edward Cullen in a relationship?"

"Why does that matter?"

"Answer the question, Bella," Jacob whined.

"Yes, so what?"

"That's it. Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to-"

"Goodnight, Jacob," I hung up the phone and collapsed back onto my pillow. Would he ever figure it out? Knowing Jacob, probably not.

* * *

**So I'm probably going to add 5 more chapters of this story before moving on to possibly a "New Moon" version. Let me know if you want me to or not. Review!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Sorry about not updating in a long time. I was on vacation and wrote chapters there, then couldn't find the notebook when I got back and I finally found it last night, in the bathroom of all places! **

**Anyway, I have three chapters to post, so today, Tuesday and Thursday will be update days. Then more vacation and then I'll finish up the story. **

**Sorry for the long note.**

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"Good morning, Bella," I woke up to the sweet angel's voice that I new all too well.

"Edward?" I sat up, and then slammed back against my pillow and covered myself with my blanket. For once I was self conscious about my appearance. I happened to know that I didn't look my best first thing in the morning. "What the hell are you doing here?" I asked, my voice muffled by the blanket. "And, more importantly, how did you get in here?" I thought of Charlie, how hard would it be for me to explain this to him?

"Through the door," he said nonchalantly. "Don't worry. Your father left an hour ago," he added, reading my mind in that annoying way.

"What time is it?" I asked, knowing it was late in the morning.

"Nearly eleven."

"And what are you doing here?"

"Would you like me to leave?"

"No!" I said too quickly. "Please don't," I added in a whisper.

"I won't." The bed sagged and I could tell he was sitting next to me. "Why don't you come out now?" Edward loosened my fingers off of the cover and gently pulled it off of me. "Good morning, Bella," he said quietly.

"Good morning, Edward," I replied, smiling slightly. "Would you mind if I tidied myself up a bit?"

"I wouldn't mind that at all. I'll wait for you downstairs," he stood and left my room in the blink of an eye. I stood and nearly sprinted through the hallway to the bathroom. I showered and combed my hair out then dressed and made my way down into the living room. When I reached the bottom of the stairs Edward was standing by the front door, still as a statue, looking out into the street.

Without thinking, I went up behind him and wrapped my arms around him. He immediately tensed up, and then slowly relaxed. "Did I startle you?" I asked.

"Not your presence, your action did however."

"I'm sorry," I said and I removed my arms.

"Don't be, it's my fault. I need to get used to being human again. Or as close to human as I can get." Edward turned to face me and he was smiling. "Do you want to eat something?"

"How nice of you to ask. I would like that very much."

"Esme reminded me to make sure you ate before I left this morning."

"Well, then that was very kind of her too."

"You can thank her when you meet her today," he said, we were walking toward the kitchen now, but I stopped in my tracks at this statement. "Unless you don't want to…" I could hear the tension in Edward's voice, and maybe a hint of questioning too. He was questioning our relationship again, and I couldn't have that. I couldn't lose Edward. I had just gotten him.

"I want to go; you just caught me off guard, that's all."

"I'm sorry." We began walking toward the kitchen again. I found myself some cereal and some milk and gulped it down, feeling self conscious only after I had put my bowl in the dishwasher.

"Should we go?" I asked Edward, looking at the clock, it was almost noon now.

"Of course," he stood. I led him through the house and down the driveway to my truck. "Now, Bella," Edward began. "I think it would be better if we took my car," he pointed to the shiny silver Volvo that I hadn't noticed.

"Fine," I grumbled and followed him to his car.

* * *

After a short drive we ended up in the middle of nowhere, traveling down a dirt road that I had never seen before. At the end there was a clearing, and in that clearing sat the most gorgeous house I had ever seen. It was nearly entirely made of glass, and as I stepped through the door I didn't feel safe. I had the strange feeling that I could destroy this whole house if I tripped over a rug. I could just imagine myself flying through the glass and tumbling down the driveway.

"Come on in," Edward waved me through the open door and came in behind me. He put his hand on the small of my back and guided me through the entranceway and into a vast living room. The inside of the house was immaculately clean, and I began to feel bad for the way I had treated my house for the past seventeen years. "Do you like it?"

"Yes," I answered, unable to come up with any snappy remarks.

"Edward!" I recognized Alice as she came bounding down the stairs, stopping right in front of us, a huge smile on her face. "Hi, Bella!" She hugged me quickly and then stepped back, shooting an apologetic look at Edward.

"Bella, this is Alice, and that's Jasper," Edward looked pointedly to the top of the stairs where his blond haired brother was standing.

"It's nice to meet you," Jasper said.

"You too," I answered, feeling awkward. A feeling of calm washed over me, and I remembered vaguely what Edward had told me about Jasper.

"Alice," Edward said, and he jerked his head towards the stairs.

"Fine," Alice pouted. She smiled at me one more time and then in a flash she was back up the stairs and at Jasper's side. Together they left and were replaced by who I could only assume were Esme and Carlisle, Edward's adoptive parents.

"Esme, Carlisle, this is Bella. Bella, Esme and Carlisle," he introduced us. Carlisle stepped forward and took my hand in his. His grasp was cold and firm, yet gentle and comforting. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You too," I replied, this seemed to be my standard answer. Carlisle's hair was blond, lighter then Jasper's, and he was just as pale and beautiful as the rest of them

"It's so nice to meet you, Bella," Esme smiled at me like I was the most amazing thing on the planet. She stepped up and hugged me gently, kissing me on both of my cheeks. Esme had wavy caramel colored hair, and a heart shaped face. She seemed like the perfect mother.

"Are Emmett and Rosalie here?" Edward asked.

"Yes," Esme spoke. "Emmett is trying to convince her to come down."

"She's stubborn, your sister," Carlisle smiled.

"We'll leave you two alone," Esme said and she took Carlisle by the hand and the walked out of the room, leaving Edward and me alone in the large room.

"Rosalie doesn't want to meet me," I spoke.

"She's just being stubborn, as Carlisle said," Edward answered, seeming not to care much about his sister's blatant dislike of me.

"But, why doesn't she like me?" I waited for an answer but none came. I looked toward the giant archway and saw Emmett standing there, a wide grin on his face.

"Emmett," Edward nodded in his direction. "This is Bella."

"I know," Emmett said. He kept his distance but smiled brightly and seemed like a nice enough guy. Scary, but nice. He had dark brown hair, which looked even darker against his pale skin. "What are you two up to today?" Emmett asked, cocking his eyebrows.

"Bella and I are going for a walk. Is Rosalie not coming down?"

"No, she's being a grump," Emmett smiled at his comment. "Have fun kids!" he cried over his shoulder as he disappeared back the way he had come.

"So," I began after a few moments. "We're going for a walk?"

"If that's alright with you," Edward smiled.

"Sounds like…" I strained for the right words. "An interesting way to spend the day."

"The day's half gone, Bella," Edward continued to beam at me. "We best get going."

"Of course," I replied, and I allowed him to lead me through the house and out the back door. "We're not walking through the woods are we?" I groaned once we had reached the edge of the trees.

"Is that a problem?"

"I'm not exactly the most coordinated. Incase you haven't noticed."

"I have noticed, actually," he laughed. "Don't worry; I'll make sure you don't hurt yourself too badly." Edward lifted me up and threw me over his shoulder, and then he started running.

**

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	22. Chapter 22

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I didn't breathe until we stopped, and when we did I was amazed to see that we were standing at the edge of a cliff, the town of Forks far off in the distance. "Wow," I said, unable to catch my breath because of the high altitude. "That was such a rush!"

Edward laughed, "You enjoyed yourself then?"

"Yes!" I felt my cheeks turn red; I hadn't meant to show him how enthusiastic I was. "I mean, it was okay," I shrugged.

Edward laughed again.

"So, why did we come up here?" I asked as I anxiously rocked back and forth on my toes.

"You wanted to see what I looked like in the sun, did you not?"

"Oh, yes please," I answered, smiling and flushing again.

"Alright," the sky parted, and the sun shone down on Edward.

"How did you do that?" I asked, astonished by him yet again.

"It's the way all of us are," he answered, looking at his arm.

"You can all change the weather?" I was excited now, so they were magically inclined, too?

"What?" Edward looked at me, trying to make sense of what I was saying. "No, Bella! Look at me!"

I stared at Edward, his arms held out in front of him, a twisted smile on his face. I took in his appearance, and then finally I noticed it, and I began to laugh.

"It's not funny!" Edward cried as he began to laugh along with me. "I suppose it is, isn't it?"

"You're so deadly and scary and yet you get into the sun and you sparkle!" I collapsed on the ground, my laughter consuming my entire body. I couldn't breathe, and though I new perfectly well that Edward was staring at me, I didn't care. "I'm sorry," I said once I had controlled myself. The sun was back behind the clouds now. "But, how did you know the sun would break through the clouds when it did? The weather men aren't that accurate."

"Alice," he answered. "Are you ready to leave now? Or do you want to laugh at me some more?"

"Did I hurt your feelings?" I asked, a shy smile spreading over my face.

"A little."

"I'm ready to leave," I replied. Edward strode toward me and threw me over his shoulder again.

"Alice," Edward said.

"Bella," I corrected him, too entranced by his smell to be angry that he had forgotten my name.

"No, Alice is coming," he put me down again just as Alice and Jasper came hurtling through the trees. Alice came to a stop in front of us while Jasper hung back by the trees.

"Edward! I just saw, someone's coming!" Alice was bouncing up and down on her heels as she spoke.

"Someone meaning who, Alice?" Edward sounded calm, but his whole body was tense.

"The same person who was here a few months ago. He's decided to come back!" Alice's face looked panic as she looked at me. "It has something to do with Bella."

Edward looked at me, his face looked pained. "When will he get here, Alice?"

"Soon, about ten minutes. I didn't know where you were or I would have told you sooner," Alice sounded apologetic, as though it was her fault. "We should go back to the house, Carlisle will know what to do, he always does."

Edward nodded in agreement and flung me over his shoulder, without another word we were running back through the woods. Alice and Jasper trailed behind us, Edward was much faster then them. We dodged trees and I felt like I was in the middle of an all-too-real 3D movie.

"What's going on?" I yelled over the roaring in my ears.

"You heard Alice, someone's coming!" he yelled back.

"Who?" I demanded, kicking him a little bit and feeling a stinging in my toe. Note to self, don't do that again.

We were back at the house now, but Edward didn't stop until we were through the doors and standing in front of Esme and Carlisle.

"What's wrong, Edward?" Carlisle asked his voice calm and soothing.

"He's coming!" Edward yelled, anger apparent in his voice.

"Who, Edward?" Esme stepped forward, was standing next to Carlisle now.

"Christianson!" Edward said. "He was here a few weeks ago, he said he was heading up to Denali, but now he's coming back. Alice said…" Edward trailed off; his voice had reached a volume that was piercing to even my human ears. When Edward spoke again he was almost too calm, "Alice said it has something to do with Bella."

"Bella would like to be put down now," I said. Edward put me gently back on my feet and I looked up into his perfect face. "So, what do we do now?"

"We'll have to leave," Edward said, a plan obviously was being concocted in his mind.

"I can't leave!" I laughed. To me this whole thing was a joke that was not very funny.

"You have to," Edward said calmly.

"You can't make me!" I stuck my tongue out at him and plopped myself down in the armchair next to me. "Charlie will be so angry with me if I leave. He's just started being nice to me again. If I runaway now he'll think everything is back to the way it was. He'll hate me again.

"Your father didn't hate you, Bella," Alice spoke, sitting on the arm of the chair. "And he won't hate you now. He may not understand, but he'll always love you. He's your father, after all."

"It seems so simple to you. Mortal relationships aren't as simple as you make them sound. Charlie may never blatantly say that he hates me, but you don't have to be a mind reader to tell that he does."

"Bella, you underestimate us," Carlisle smiled. "We may not be human, but we do have human feelings, we can relate to you, you know."

"I'm sorry," I hung my head in shame. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"You didn't offend us, Bella," Esme spoke. "But I think you should listen to us and do what we say. We tend to be correct about things. We've had a lot of experience."

"So, what's the plan?" Alice asked.

"Bella needs to go somewhere," Edward said.

"Would you mind if I suggested a location?" I asked, hopeful.

"Not at all," Edward turned to me, obviously his patience was dwindling.

"I've always wanted to go to New York City," I said sheepishly.

"What do you say, Alice?" Edward looked to his sister.

"It'll be raining there for the next three days. I guess it's as good a place as any," Alice replied, a blank look on her face as she glimpsed into the future.

"Fine, but get this straight, Bella," Edward said. "There will be no goofing around."

"Yes, sir!" I jumped off the chair and hugged him.

* * *

Two hours later and we were on our way, Edward, Carlisle, Alice and me that is. I had packed my things in a hurry, left a note for Charlie telling him I was going to New York and then jumped into my truck a returned to the Cullens.

We were in Carlisle's car now, jet black with tinted windows. Edward was sitting in the back with me, Carlisle was driving and Alice was in the front passenger seat. I was curled up on Edward chest, his hand stroking my hair. I felt safe, despite the fact that in some strange way my life was in danger. I didn't believe this at all, but I decided to go along with it. Who wouldn't want to go away with Edward for a long weekend?

"Are we flying?" I asked out of nowhere.

"Yes," Carlisle replied. "Esme and Rosalie are watching you father and Emmett is waiting for Arnold to arrive. He's going to try to lead him in a different direction that we're going."

"Arnold Christianson?" I was finally making sense of what I was hearing.

"Yes, you know him?" Carlisle turned to look at me, not watching the road.

"I know of him," I clarified. "I read his book, that's how I found out you're vampires."

"That explains it then!" Alice cried. "You know about vampires, and therefore you will most likely become one. Christianson vowed to change any mortal who discovered us by reading his book!"

"So, he wants to change me?" I wanted clarification on this subject. Alice nodded. "I thought he was dead?"

"Undead, actually," Alice smiled. "Changed, just like the believers suggested, by a vampire who is long gone now. That's a different story though…" Alice trailed off after a stern look from Edward.

"Why not just let him change me?" I asked. "If it's going to happen anyway. Or you could change me," I was speaking to Edward.

"Neither of those things is happening," he said shortly. I could tell the conversation was over. "Let's stick to the plan. We go to New York, hide out for a while, and then decide what the next course of action will be."

I nodded, not truly accepting but unable to argue.

**

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	23. Chapter 23

**Last post before I leave for vacation.**

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"So," I began as I plopped down on the couch in the hotel room Carlisle had rented. It had two bedrooms, although I was the only one who was going to be sleeping. "What do you we do now?"

"Now," Edward sat down next to me. "It's the waiting game."

"What are we waiting for?" I asked, looking around. Alice was here, Carlisle was here, Edward was here, I was here, and I didn't know what it was that we could be waiting for. We were in New York, the city that never sleeps. Chop, chop people, let's get moving!

"Emmett," Edward replied. He was looking straight ahead, obviously deep in thought.

"He's coming?"

"No, he'll call us and let us know what's going on."

"So, can we do something before that happens?" I looked at Alice, hopeful. She was looking the other way, not meeting my gaze.

"No, I can't risk losing you," Edward answered my question. I snapped my head to look at him, my mouth open wide.

"I am not a child!" I cried. "You will not lose me!" I felt like they had played me. "You asked me where I wanted to go. Now that we're here-"

"Bella, stop acting like a child," Edward cut me off. "This is for your own good. You know how you like to wander."

I crossed my arms in front of my chest and pouted, "I do not wander."

Edward snickered at me, I wanted to smack him. I was remembering the anger I had towards him when I first met him. That anger was beginning to resurface.

"Maybe," Alice spoke. "After Emmett calls, we can go sightseeing. If that's alright with you, Edward?"

"Maybe," Edward replied. I could tell the conversation was finished.

"Shouldn't Emmett have called by now, I mean, it's been a while," I changed the subject.

"Yes," Carlisle spoke for the first time. "He should have called by now."

"I'm sure he's fine," Alice assured us. "I would know if anything was going to happen.

"How did you meet Arnold Christianson?" I asked Edward.

It was Carlisle who answered though. "He came to visit us a few years back, when we were living in Denali with some friends who follow the same diet that we do. He was interested in us and tried to live like us for a while. He thought he could make a come back with a new book and be a famous author, but in order to do that he would have to be around people.

"He tried our lifestyle for about a year, but he cheated constantly and we told him he could no longer stay with us. It looked bad, people dying every few days, most of them living in the same general area. It raised suspicion, so we made him leave. Soon after we decided it attracted too much attention for all of us vampires to be living together.

"He visited us a while ago, and told us he was going to try our lifestyle again. We congratulated him on his decision, but sent him to Denali." Carlisle finished and sat down in the armchair across from me.

"So, he was coming back for me. But, how did he know that I read his book?"

"He has people for that," Carlisle replied, a smile on his face. "His followers who he changed into vampires, they have special abilities like Edward, Alice and Jasper. They manage to hunt down those who have read his book."

"But, his book was about all types of myths, werewolves, faeries, warlocks, and vampires. So, why not one of those instead?"

"Vampires were his 'true calling.' Or, at least that's what he told us," Carlisle finished.

"Bella, why don't you get some sleep," Edward spoke, sounding defeated and a little tired himself. I looked at the clock; it was two in the morning. I suddenly felt very tired. I stood and walked into the larger of the two bedrooms. Edward was right behind me.

* * *

When I woke up in the morning I was tangled in the sheets, fully dressed with shoes and all. Edward was lying on his back next to me, looking up at the ceiling, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Did you sleep well," he asked, still focused on the ceiling.

"Yes," I replied, trying to untangle the sheets from around my ankles. "Did Emmett call?"

"Yes," Edward replied, still focusing on the ceiling.

"Is something wrong?"

"Christianson said he was looking for Carlisle. Emmett told him we were going south, to Texas. That's where Jasper was going. Emmett's going to meet Jasper and they're going to come here."

"Where's Christianson going?" I asked, now I was sitting up.

"Apparently to Texas. Alice says she saw him coming here though."

"You believe Alice?" I asked.

"Yes," Edward looked at me. His eyes were getting pretty dark. I felt bad; I didn't want him to be in pain because of me.

"So what's the next step?" I wondered out loud.

"Well, I'm sorry, Bella, but it looks like you're not going to get the sightseeing trip that you wanted."

"That's all right," I answered. I was steaming on the inside. This guy was ruining my plans. I stood and looked out the window. It was raining still, Alice was right. Alice was always right. "When are we leaving?" I asked.

"When Emmett and Jasper get here, Carlisle and I are going to stay with them and we'll figure out what to do about Christianson. Carlisle thinks we're going to have to kill him," Edward paused as I cringed. "It's alright; someone was bound to do it at some point. He's hated by almost every other vampire in the world."

"Still, I don't think my being mortal is worth you killing someone," I shuddered.

"It's not up for discussion," Edward snapped. "You're going back with Alice, and that's final."

"Fine," I mumbled, collapsing back on the bed. My life just kept getting more and more depressing.

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**REVIEW! **

**By the way, sorry for the late update today, and for anyone mispellings or confusing sentences. Leave it to me to not pack until two days before I leave. I have so much laundry to do, it's not even funny. **


	24. Chapter 24

**Okay, so I apologize for the long hiatus. **

**First, a catch-up on thank yous.**

**NewGyrlz  
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**And now, the last chapter (read to the bottom for more info on that) of Wherever the Road Takes Us**

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Alice and I reached Charlie's home by sundown. I was still frustrated with Edward for making me come home. "Here we are," Alice said, opening her door and running to open mine. She had my bag in her hand and placed her hand on my back, guiding me safely to the front door. We opened the door and I trudged up the stairs to my room.

"Charlie's not home," Alice handed me a note written in Charlie's handwriting. "It was hanging on the refrigerator."

_Bells, _

_If you get home and read this I am probably at work. Call the precinct and leave me a message letting me know what's going on. DON'T GO ANYWHERE. We have a lot to talk about._

I folded the note and set it on my nightstand. "Alice, can you do me a favor?"

"Of course," Alice answered.

"I need some alone time."

"Oh, sure," Alice seemed puzzled. "I'll just go sit downstairs or something." She was gone before I could respond. I wanted to tell her it was nothing personal, I just needed to think about things. I walked to the window and looked outside. It was raining, though this wasn't a surprise. I pushed the window open and stuck my hand out into the cold, muggy air. The trees on the edge of the yard rustled and I jumped back.

"Whoa," Jacob laughed as he approached my window. "Did I startle you?"

"Just a little. It's not everyday someone comes out of the woods and walks straight through my backyard."

"Sorry about that. Charlie asked me to come over and watch the house, wait for you to come home."

"That was nice of him. I'm happy to know he doesn't trust me to take care of myself."

"Well," Jacob was still smiling. "He was kind of worried when you were gone. Running out like that wasn't exactly a responsible thing to do."

"Well, was I really ever a responsible person?" I looked up at the sky.

"For a while there I thought you were becoming one." We both laughed together. "You don't want to be responsible, do you?"

I thought for a moment, and everything built up inside of me, making me want to scream. Edward didn't trust me to stay with him without getting hurt. My dad didn't trust me to go off on my own. I didn't trust myself to make the smartest decisions, or the right choices. I shuddered at the idea of becoming responsible. Who wanted to do the right thing all the time? Not me and not Jake. And, maybe in the end that's what made us such good friends. Neither of us gave a damn about doing the right thing or having someone trust us. "Definitely not," I answered. Before I could think about what I was doing, or even make a choice, I had bounded out the window and (surprisingly) landed on my feet.

"A perfect ten!" Jacob laughed holding up all ten of his thick fingers. I grabbed his hand and led him towards his Rabbit, which was now sitting in the street. I didn't want Alice to worry, but then I realized that the _responsible_ thing to do would be to tell her I was going, or just not go at all. When I snuck a peak through the living room window Alice was on her cell phone, a small smile on her face. I climbed into the passenger's seat and Jacob got in the driver's seat and started the car. The engine rumbled to life and before we could decide where we were going to go, we were already on our way.

* * *

"You should probably call your dad," Jake mentioned after about an hour of aimless driving.

"Yeah," I was gazing out the window at the trees flashing by in the distance. We were heading south on the interstate. I had a feeling we were approaching Oregon but I couldn't be sure. "Maybe you should call your dad, too." We both smiled at each other before returning to our staring, Jake at the road and me at the scenery. As if on command my phone started vibrating in my pocket. I took it out and looked at the screen. "**CHARLIE**" it read. I sighed and answered.

"Bella, where are you? I got home from work and Alice was sitting on the couch. She said you left with Jake? Where are you going?" he said this all in a rush and once again I felt the anger building up inside of me.

"Dad, calm down," I said through gritted teeth. "Yes, I'm with Jake, and we're just hanging out. I'll be home soon." It felt nice to lie to him. The truth was; I never wanted to go home again. I would be perfectly fine on the road by myself, and I had Jacob with me, which made it even better.

"Bella, I told you to call me when you got home! Once again you blatantly disobeyed me. I though we were through with this whole rebellion thing! I want you home this minute!"

"Well, that would be impossible because I'm like an hour away and the traffic is crap right now!"

"Bella, I can't believe you keep-" I hung up the phone, drowning out my dad's yelling.

"He's mad," Jake observed.

"A little bit," I replied. "He'll get over it, I'm sure."

* * *

About an hour after my dad called Jake and I pulled into a Motel 8 on the side of the interstate. We rented a room with two queen beds and attracted some strange looks as we walked empty handed through the lobby. I collapsed on the bed I had claimed as my own and in a few minutes was asleep.

* * *

When I woke up next it was 7 o'clock in the morning and Jake was sitting on the edge of his bed, tying his shoes. "We should get going," he looked up at me and smiled. "I was thinking we should get you home before Charlie gets too worried."

"Really?" I asked, and idea popping up in my mind as I spoke. "Because, I was thinking Vegas? If you're up for it?"

Jake looked up at me shocked. "That sounds awesome."

"Awesome," I repeated and jumped out of bed. I was still wearing the same clothes and my shoes were still on. I checked my pockets for my cell phone and my wallet, I had both. "Vegas it is," I couldn't help but smile.

We dropped off our key and headed to the Rabbit. Just as I was putting my seatbelt on my phone rang. I was anticipating another fight with Charlie, but for some reason that was exactly what I was looking for. "Listen," I began as I answered the phone. "I don't want to get yelled at, or listen to how you feel-"

"Bella," I stopped as a voice interrupted. It was a velvety voice that for just a second made my heart flutter.

"Edward," I breathed.

"You're safe now," he said plainly.

"I know." I could sense the double meaning behind his words. The villain was gone, Edward had taken care of me. But I was also with the Jacob, the one person who I truly needed in my life. Nothing could hurt me when Jake was around.

"Where are you?"

"I'm with Jacob, we're somewhere near Oregon, if not already in Oregon."

"Where are you going?"

I looked over at Jacob and knew I had to make up my mind. Was I going to be the Bella who as sweet and responsible, or was I going to be the old Bella who was a rebel with a mean streak? The latter option sounded pretty good, and so that was what I chose.

"Where are you going?" Edward repeated, or maybe it was just my imagination.

"Wherever the road takes us," I replied, closing my phone and turning it off. I gazed out the window at watched the trees and houses fly by.

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**I hate to say that this is the end. :) But, not to worry. There will be a sequal. Who wants to leave off on a cliffhanger right? How rude. ;) Now that summer is here, I p-r-o-m-i-s-e to have a chapter up at least once a week. I'll let you know here when the sequal is posted. **

**Lots of love! **

**~Mandy**


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